The New Taipei City Government on Jan. 20 started to offer subsidies to residents who want to have their pets neutered, which it said is required by law and can help prevent some reproductive system disorders common in older animals.
The Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office is offering a subsidy of NT$600 for neutering a male dog or cat and NT$1,200 for spaying a female dog or cat, the office said, adding that last year it received subsidy applications for 2,163 cats and dogs.
Pet owners can visit the office’s Web site to find veterinary clinics contracted by the city government and fill in application forms for surgery, the office said.
Photo courtesy of the New Taipei City Government Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office
However, the pets must be microchipped and registered to be eligible for the subsidy, it added.
People who do not have their pets neutered could face a fine of NT$50,000 to NT$250,000 for breaching the Animal Protection Act (動物保護法), the office said.
The office has a limited budget for the subsidy program and the conclusion of this year’s subsidies would be announced on its Web site, it said.
Regarding some pet owners’ concern that undergoing sterilization might affect the animals’ daily activities, the office said that the procedure does not cause much inconvenience to animals, and instead helps them avoid reproductive system diseases.
Older animals are more likely to develop breast cancer, testicular cancer, prostatic hyperplasia or perianal gland tumors, in addition to other chronic diseases, and they also face higher surgical risks, it said.
Female dogs and cats that are not spayed might develop uterine infections, which could be deadly, the office said, advising pet owners to have their pets neutered when they are young.
Disease prevention is better than treatment, office Director Chen Yuan-chuan (陳淵泉) said, urging pet owners to apply for the subsidy as soon as possible.
People whose pets cannot undergo surgery due to certain reasons should file an application with the office to avoid a fine, he said.
POLAM KOPITIAM CASE: Of the two people still in hospital, one has undergone a liver transplant and is improving, while the other is being evaluated for a liver transplant A fourth person has died from bongkrek acid poisoning linked to the Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday, as two other people remain seriously ill in hospital. The first death was reported on March 24. The man had been 39 years old and had eaten at the restaurant on March 22. As more cases of suspected food poisoning involving people who had eaten at the restaurant were reported by hospitals on March 26, the ministry and the Taipei Department of Health launched an investigation. The Food and
The long-awaited Taichung aquarium is expected to open next year after more than a decade of development. The building in Cingshui District (清水) is to feature a large ocean aquarium on the first floor, coral display area on the second floor, a jellyfish tank and Dajia River (大甲溪) basin display on the third, a river estuary display and restaurant on the fourth, and a cafe and garden on the fifth. As it is near Wuci Fishing Port (梧棲漁港), many are expecting the opening of the aquarium to bring more tourism to the harbor. Speaking at the city council on Monday, Taichung City Councilor
A fourth person has died in a food poisoning outbreak linked to the Xinyi (信義) branch of Malaysian restaurant chain Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in Taipei, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) said on Monday. It was the second fatality in three days, after another was announced on Saturday. The 40-year-old woman experienced multiple organ failure in the early hours on Monday, and the family decided not to undergo emergency resuscitation, Wang said. She initially showed signs of improvement after seeking medical treatment for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but her condition worsened due to an infection, he said. Two others who
Taiwanese should be mindful when visiting China, as Beijing in July is likely to tighten the implementation of policies on national security following the introduction of two regulations, a researcher said on Saturday. China on Friday unveiled the regulations governing the law enforcement and judicial activities of national security agencies. They would help crack down on “illegal” and “criminal” activities that Beijing considers to be endangering national security, according to reports by China’s state media. The definition of what constitutes a national security threat in China is vague, Taiwan Thinktank researcher Wu Se-chih (吳瑟致) said. The two procedural regulations are to provide Chinese