Taiwan's Interior Ministry is pushing Hualien County to release the cause of death of Wilson, a search-and-rescue dog that died last year, after a firefighter's claim that the death was suspicious sparked public anger.

• Interior Minister Liu Shyh-fang has ordered Hualien's animal disease control agency to investigate under the Animal Protection Act and publish the findings quickly.
• Wilson helped find survivors after the April 2024 Hualien earthquake, which is why the case struck a nerve with the public.
• Hualien's fire department says Wilson fell by accident during training in May last year, and a vet certified it as accidental death with no signs of abuse.
• Under animal protection law, a vet must issue the death certificate — not the fire department reviewing its own case, which is the gap the ministry wants closed.
• A local councillor argues the probe should follow the same rules used when a firefighter dies, not animal welfare law.

Outlook: Hualien's county council has demanded a special report from the county government, so an official account of Wilson's death is expected soon.