City unveils GS safe pet product certification

• By Huang Tzu-yang and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writer

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The New Taipei City Government on Tuesday unveiled a GS safety certificate system for pet products in collaboration with private enterprises in the industry.

Incidents involving animal harm by unsafe pet products prompted the city’s Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office to develop a safety labeling system based on policies that foreign countries successfully implemented, office Deputy Commissioner Liu Hsu-fen (劉淑芬) told a news conference.

Pet products using substandard materials or of poor construction pose a danger to pets, Liu said.

Officials play with dogs at a news conference in New Taipei City on Tuesday.

Photo courtesy of the New Taipei City Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office

A trolleys’ weight-bearing capacity, small components or sharp edges on toys and escape-proof fences are some of the design features that the GS standard evaluates before certifying a product, she said.

Establishing safety standards and inspection protocols helps manufacturers to design better products and identify potential flaws to prevent harm, said Huang Hsien-ping (黃獻平), chairman of the Taipei-based China Pet Products Development Association.

The GS standard obliges manufacturers to report unsafe products to the association for recall and comply with measures should a major safety incident occur, Huang said.

Office Director Yang Shu-fang (楊淑方) said pet owners should think carefully about their pet’s size, physical condition, age and habits before buying products.

Protecting the welfare of pets requires a regulatory system that provides comprehensive oversight from design to safety evaluation before products are released to the consumer market, an office spokesperson said.

New Taipei City Government officials and association representatives at the news conference demonstrated how to check the suitability of a product for pets.