Taiwan prosecutors have opened a case into the death of Wilson, the search-and-rescue dog credited with finding survivors after the April 2024 Hualien earthquake — bad news for the county fire department, which is now facing both criminal and animal-welfare probes.

• Prosecutors in Hualien received multiple citizen complaints and will investigate.
• The complaints target Wilson's handler for alleged abuse and the county fire chief for neglect of duty.
• The fire department says Wilson fell during training and a vet ruled it an accident, with no broken bones found afterward.
• That explanation has not calmed public anger, which flared after a firefighter suggested the death was not what it seemed.
• The national fire agency has ordered the county's animal health office to run its own review under animal protection law.

Outlook: The county council has demanded a full report at the end of the month, and the county government will release its findings once the animal welfare review is done.