Taipei, Jan. 31 (CNA) Taiwan's Cabinet-level Council of Agriculture (COA) has announced recently that plans are in the works to establish a new department that would deal exclusively with pets.
The announcement came after animal protection groups, especially those dealing with Taiwan's abandoned pets and stray animal problem, have complained for years that the agency, whose role is mainly to deal with livestock, was not doing enough to crack down on irresponsible pet owners and breeders.
The department will be a separate entity from the current Animal Protection Office (APO), the nation's de facto animal rights agency.
COA chief Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲) unveiled the plan on his Facebook page, saying that the Executive Yuan had already approved the establishment of Taiwan's first pet governance department, and planned to invest at least NT$130 million (US$4,676,259) annually into the department to ensure pets are well cared for and protected.
The inception of the project came from a need to better manage pet-related industries, Chen said, adding that the production value generated by the sector is currently as high as NT$50 billion.
According to a census conducted by the COA, there are approximately two million households in Taiwan with live-in animals of various kinds, and the growth of pet-oriented industries in recent years has been noticeable.
Dogs and cats accounted for almost 2.3 million of the pet population alone, excluding strays.
Previously, when the COA first announced the plan, it had said that the department would be a separate entity from its current animal protection department.
With the establishment of the new department for pets, regulations surrounding births and deaths of pets would be issued, along with lists of animals that would become legal or illegal to keep as pets.
COA recently categorized six breeds of dogs as "aggressive" -- the American pit bull terrier (APBT) and mixed APBT, Tosa, Neapolitan mastiff, Brazilian mastiff, Dogo Argentino, and Molossian hound.
The agency further announced in November last year that starting on March 1, 2022, pit bull terriers will be banned from being kept as pets or imported.
All responsibilities of creating regulations and managing the wellbeing and legalities of pets would be delegated to the new department.
Specifically, Chen said that the pet department was planning to tackle four major responsibilities: understanding the development and growth of pet-oriented industries, formulating pet regulations, promoting a pet-friendly animal information system, and constructing a management system to regulate pet safety.
Aside from the projected annual budget, the COA plans to recruit at least six experts from the industry, as well as hiring 95 personnel to add to local governments to ensure the establishment of better pet regulations, Chen added.
Animal protection groups in Taiwan have long complained that too many pets are being abandoned and strays are allowed to reproduce.
Although the situation has improved in recent years due to increased awareness and adoptions, they says there is insufficient enforcement of a neutering and spaying law, with only a small percentage of Taiwan's 2 million or so dogs spayed or neutered.
To get more insight into what animal protection activists think of the establishment of the new department, CNA recently spoke with the Animal Care Trust (ACT), a registered UK charity that rescues and aims to enhance the quality of life of animals in northern Taiwan.
According to Seán McCormack, the Executive Director of ACT, current laws are at times ambiguous, such as the living conditions of animals.
He revealed that he had experienced rescuing animals that were either abused or abandoned, and for those with chips, McCormack said they would contact the animals' owners, who would sometimes tell ACT that the animals were no longer wanted.
McCormack said that he's had experiences where after reaching out to APO, the office would either cite laws that are vague or just force owners to take their animals back.
"The animals were either not wanted or were abused, and would be forced to return to abusive owners. Laws should be there to protect these animals, but unfortunately, it is very ambiguous right now."
While activists may see a risky environment, APO might deem conditions adequate.
In recent years, animal protection activists have urged the government to crack down on breeders, provide subsidies for NGOs to help spay and neuter animals, and give assistance to groups that rescue stray animals.
McCormack said that there was a drive to ensure all domestic dogs and cats were neutered.
Unfortunately, while APO officials had tried to promote such initiatives to owners, many have not followed the program and let their pets roam free, unneutered, thus contributing to the issue of overpopulation.
The COA has blamed the problems on insufficient staffing in the past, which activists like McCormack say is understandable.
"I'm very supportive and proud of the progress made to animal welfare in Taiwan. But, as in every country, there's a lot more that needs to be done."
In response to the creation of the pet department, animal protection advocates have also said that it remained to be seen whether creating a separate department to deal with pet issues will fix the problem.
"I was not aware of the creation of this department, but we hope that it would help," McCormack said. "As long as it is not for show and that proper regulations are written and enforced for the sake of the lives and wellbeing of pets and their owners."
