On World Animal Day yesterday, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said that if the DPP returns to power, it would allocate more resources for the protection of animals.
The DPP government would provide personnel and operational funds for the most urgent tasks to local governments that come up with comprehensive plans, Tsai said on Facebook.
Tsai, who owns two cats, said these tasks include: increasing animal protection personnel; forming a monitoring group; enforcing pet registration policies; educating pet owners to be responsible; and funding TNVR — trap/neuter/vaccinate/return — adoption programs.
Other urgent tasks include promoting life education, improving conditions at animal shelters, bolstering the supervision of breeding facilities and cracking down on illegal breeding, Tsai said.
Many pets live in harsh environments and face unclear futures, Tsai said.
Compared with some developed countries, Taiwan has yet to perform a number of animal protection tasks governed by the law, nor has it worked to improve animal welfare or establish animal rights, Tsai said.
An amendment to the Animal Protection Act (動物保護法) earlier this year that ended the practice of “12-night euthanasia” — where animals in shelters were put down after 12 days — came about a year too late, Tsai said, adding that a number of complementary measures to correct the source of the problem have not been implemented, allowing the problem of stray animals to continue unabated.
“The government must be determined to provide abundant resources to local governments, which are at the front line for implementation, but often suffer from an inadequate budget and a shortage of manpower,” Tsai said.
Tsai said that a nation’s animal protection policy is not only about solving the problem of stray animals, adding that the government should formulate “guidelines for the protection of animals.”
These guidelines should encourage the government to work with professionals to develop short, intermediate and long-term goals for animal conservation, to census endangered species and to improve the welfare of animals used for commercial, experimental and performance purposes, she added.
Only in a world where all living beings can peacefully coexist can a friendlier and more balanced living environment be created, Tsai said.
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