Taiwan vet commits suicide after criticisms by animal activists for having to euthanise too many dogs

A veterinarian and director of an animal shelter in Taiwan reportedly ended her life after being too distraught with having to put too many dogs to sleep.

According to AsiaOne, 31-year-old Jian Zhicheng worked at the Animal Protection Education Park in Taoyuan City.

She passed away five days after she injected herself with euthanasia drugs available at her workplace.

Jian was depressed enough with having to euthanise the dogs, but online backlash and comments pushed her over the edge.

Mashable reports that after she appeared on TV talking about her job, people started calling her "female butcher" and "beautiful executioner."

She had been featured in a local TV news segment nearly exactly a year ago appealing for people to adopt, not buy dogs. She said the shelter was at capacity, and that it typically had to resort to putting down strays after just 12 days if they were not adopted.

She also revealed that she had put down 700 dogs in two years at work.

She says on her first day at work, she cried herself to sleep at the guilt of having to put them down.

She detailed how the staff at the shelter take the dogs for a walk and give them some treats, before comforting them as the lethal injection is administered.

Despite her good intentions, she was not spared from online bulling by 'animal activists', who called her names. She became upset with the name-calling as many people did not understand that the animal shelter capacity is limited and they were struggling with increasing numbers of animals being abandoned.

According to DailyMail, Jian was described as a kind-hearted and dedicated person by her colleagues. She worked helping bring sick and stray animals back to health before helping find them a new home. 

Jian was found by police and her husband after having injected herself with the euthanasia drugs.

She wrote a suicide note speaking of her guilt.

She said: "A (human) life is no different from a dog's; I will die from the same drugs that we use to put dogs peacefully to sleep."

She died in hospital a week later on May 12.