Ministry incentivizes owners to register their pets
By Yang Yuan-ting and Fion Khan / Staff reporter, with staff writer
The Ministry of Agriculture has launched a promotional campaign encouraging pet owners to register their dogs and cats by offering participants a chance to win pet product vouchers and free veterinary checkups.
Pet owners who complete pet registration by Sept. 30 can enter the draw by visiting the ministry’s pet registration management information system Web site, selecting the pet voucher campaign and confirming their pet and owner information.
Participants would be eligible to win one of 30,000 vouchers worth NT$300 each, which can be redeemed for pet food or agricultural products at 436 partner stores across the nation.
Officials hold a news conference in Taipei on Aug. 25 to announce a lottery for owners of registered pets.
Photo: Yang Yuan-ting, Taipei Times
The ministry’s campaign is also offering 100 veterinary care gift packages valued at NT$3,000 each, giving pet owners an opportunity to receive free health checkups and medical services for their pets.
As of Sunday last week, 22,000 owners had completed registration for the event, the Department of Animal Welfare said.
The lucky draw is to be livestreamed on Oct. 2 on the department’s official YouTube channel, the department said, adding that winners would receive their vouchers by registered mail following the drawing.
Under the Animal Protection Act (動物保護法), all dogs and cats must be registered once they reach four months of age, the department said, adding that owners who fail to do so face fines ranging from NT$3,000 to NT$15,000.
Taiwan is home to about 1.46 million pet dogs, with a registration rate of about 75.5 percent, while the number of pet cats is about 1.74 million, with a registration rate of about 63.7 percent, it said.
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