A ban on euthanizing animals at public shelters in Taiwan was announced Feb. 6 by the Cabinet-level Council of Agriculture, positioning the country alongside India as one of only two in Asia to adopt stringent standards of animal protection.
According to the latest COA statistics, the number of strays euthanized at public shelters plummeted from 74.57 percent in 2007 to 12.38 percent in 2016. This is attributed to enhanced government and activist efforts promoting awareness of animal protection, as well as an uptick in adoptions from 13.45 percent in 2007 to 74.86 percent in 2016.
First introduced in 1998, the Animal Protection Act stipulated animals in the public shelters would be euthanized seven days after public pronouncement. In 2010, the clause was amended to extend the period to 12 days. In January 2015, the Legislative Yuan achieved a milestone with passage of a zero euthanasia amendment to the act. Under the revision, which took effect this year, only animals diagnosed by veterinarians as terminally ill or with contagious diseases can be put down.
The previous law shot to public attention in 2013 following the release of “Twelve Nights,” a documentary detailing the fate of animals in Taiwan’s public shelters. Public response to the heart-wrenching film by local writer and director Giddens Ko was overwhelming, prompting the government to launch adoption and responsible ownership programs, as well as the legislative amendment.
In addition to the ban, a number of supporting measures were unveiled by the COA. These include encouraging owners not to abandon their pets, promoting life education, rigorously policing the ban, strengthening the existing animal registration system and expanding sterilization programs.
Chiang Wen-chuan, a section chief in the COA’s Animal Protection Division, said other initiatives range from improving conditions and standards of care at public shelters to capping numbers at the facilities.
Chiang said although the ban and supporting measures will help better the lot of abandoned and stray animals in Taiwan, long-term progress cannot be made without effective sterilization programs. The number of neutered stray dogs is projected to increase to 180,000 this year, up from 150,000 in 2016 and 100,000 in 2015, he added.
Going forward, the COA said more resources will be channeled into such interagency efforts as fully rolling out the animal microchip implant program, initiating a regulatory mechanism for controlling the activities of breeders and sellers, and streamlining pet registration procedures (SCK-E).
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw