Education key to controlling strays

“Our aim is to help dogs find jobs so that people can think of them as being actually useful and not just as pets they have to take care of,” explains Yen. “We don't have to buy expensive dogs from abroad but we can train our own right here in Taiwan!”

Education efforts by nonprofit organizations such as Animals Taiwan include conducting workshops at elementary schools on topics including respect for animals, responsible pet ownership, and proper pet handling techniques, notes Phillips.

Antony Ni, a volunteer of Animal Rescue Team Taiwan, a welfare organization based in southern Kaohsiung, says the team pays frequent visits to schools as well, and also publishes and distributes materials and booklets on animal rights and protection.

“Just rescuing dogs is not enough. It is simply impossible to rescue them all!” remarks Ni. “We must change people's perception about animals and their rights.”

But while most animal welfare organizations work with primary schools to teach kids about animal rights, the Taipei government utilizes a more targeted approach.

“We focus our education efforts on current, recent, and would-be pet owners: those who already own pets or who have just purchased pets at stores, as well as the general public,” explains the TMIAH director.

“The traditional way of thinking is to teach school children, but this disperses precious resources,” Yen notes. “Some children, no matter how you teach them, will never have pets because their parents have taught them so.”

Yen says in recent years, the stray canine population has been controlled since the Animal Protection Act went into effect in November 1998 requiring pet owners to register their dogs via microchips, and encouraging pet neutering with government subsidies.

But stray cats are on the increase, adds Yen. To control the stray cat population, Yen says the institute is working on strengthening TNR (trap, neuter, release) efforts, adding that he also feels there is a need to make the Animal Protection Act applicable for cats as well.

“I think the situation is getting better,” observes Phillips. “The Animal Protection Act was established in the 90s and since then the regulations on pet ownership have improved. People are becoming more responsible now.”

“Animal rights have improved but no matter how much progress is made on this front, there is always the need to teach people that abandoning and abusing animals is not right,” says Ni. “Even though people in Taiwan are now more aware of animal rights, there are still a lot of stray dogs and cats in the country.”

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