ber of stray dogs in the city and to prevent a possible outbreak of rabies, its animal health authority warned. The Taipei Municipal Institute for Animal Health (TMIAH) will launch a two-stage program in April aimed at encouraging owners of dogs and cats to obtain identity chip implants for their pets, to have them vaccinated against rabies, and to have them sterilized, according to a statement issued by the institute.
The program is being introduced to highlight animal rights and to reduce the number of dogs that are abandoned when they become ill or when their owners no longer want them.
Another major goal of the 2008 program is to expand knowledge of rabies prevention and control among pet owners, according to the statement.
In the first stage of the program in April to May, the TMIAH will ask its stray dogs catchers and local police to approach pet owners in public areas and try to persuade them to have their pets implanted with ID chips and vaccinated annually against rabies.
From June onward, when the second stage of the pet control program is launched, TMIAH personnel and policemen will issue warning tickets to people walking a dog or cat that has no ID chip or has not been vaccinated.
If the pet owners fail to comply with the regulations within a specified period,they will be fined NT$3,000 (US$99.95) to NT$15,000, in accordance with the animal protection law.
Pet owners who neglect to vaccinate their animals annually against rabies will be liable to fines ranging from NT$10,000 to NT$50,000, according to the statement.
The TMIAH also said that as part of efforts to encourage pet sterilization, it will continue this year to provide subsidies, which the city government introduced nine years ago, to encourage people to have their pets neutered.
Under the program, pet owners are entitled to a subsidy from the city government of NT$800 if they have an officially registered male cat or dog sterilized, and NT$1,500 if a female has been sterilized.
However, in 2008, the number of pet owners to whom the subsidy will be available will be limited to 2,850 due to budget constraints, TMIAH officials said.
Persons seeking the subsidy have been advised to contact the TMIAH at telephone number 87891739 for detailed information, or to check the institute's Web site at www. tmiah.tcg.gov.tw.
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