Keelung City Government has in recent years been promoting animal-friendly city policies. To reduce the number of stray dogs, it has been promoting measures such as pet registration, birth control and vaccinations. Statistics from the end of last year show that the number of registered pets in the city had reached 30,665. According to Director Chen Jui-pin of the Keelung City Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office, this shows that the city’s residents are gaining greater awareness about animal protection and that animal owners are becoming more willing to bear the responsibilities of ownership.
Director Huang Chien-feng of Keelung’s Department of Economic Affairs says that in order to promote Keelung as an animal-friendly city, subsidies have been provided through the local Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program to encourage local businesses to invest in pet-related business opportunities, thus increasing local production value and creating job opportunities.
Moou Boss, one of the companies selected for the SBIR program last year, has set up a “love pets research and development center” in Keelung. Using Keelung’s locally produced yams, gelidium jelly and spear shrimp as ingredients, during the Lunar New Year period it came up with dishes specially made for pets and sold them through convenience stores so that pets could enjoy different flavors from the usual fare, while spending the festival with their families.
Photo courtesy of Keelung City Government 照片︰基隆市政府提供
In order to provide better care facilities for stray animals, the new Pet Bank Animal Shelter will be completed and opened in the middle of this year. The new shelter will be able to accommodate 150 dogs and 50 cats, with each dog’s shelter space greatly increased to 7.5 square meters. As well as putting into practice the idea of adopting instead of buying, the management will connect with schools and community colleges to turn the Pet Bank into a place for “life education.” It will create an environment that combines medical care, life education, human-animal interaction and communication, thus establishing a venue with multiple functions that include care for animal’s lives and cognitive learning.
Huang said that the city government will have new plans for developing as a pet-friendly city this year. With regard to the pet parks that many city residents have been longing for, a contractor was selected before the Lunar New Year to plan the project. The authorities have decided to find suitable locations to set up two pet parks. There are also plans to link up schools and neighborhoods to organize animal protection activities, and to work with civic groups to encourage communities to get involved in animal protection.
(Liberty Times, translated by Julian Clegg)
Photo courtesy of Keelung City Government 照片︰基隆市政府提供
基隆市政府近年推動動物友善城市政策，為有效降低流浪犬族群，推動寵物登記、節育、預防針等措施。據去年底統計登記寵物已達到三萬六百六十五隻。動物防疫保護所所長陳瑞濱指出，這代表市民動保意識提升，飼主更願意承擔飼養責任。
基隆產業發展處長黃健峰表示，為推動動物友善城市，目前已透過地方型「小型企業創新研發計畫」（SBIR）補助，催生在地業者投入寵物商機，增加地方產值創造工作機會；去年獲選SBIR的業者萌老大也在基隆設立寵愛毛孩研發中心，以基隆在地的山藥、石花凍、劍蝦為原料，於過年推出適合寵物食用的專屬年菜，並上架到便利商店通路，讓毛孩過年時也能吃到不一樣的年味，跟著家人們一起圍爐過年。
為了提供流浪動物更好的照顧場所，新的寵物銀行動物收容所將於今年中完工啟用，將可收容一百五十隻狗、五十隻貓，每隻犬隻的收容空間將大幅增加為七點五平方公尺，落實「以領養代替購買」，也將結合學校教育及社會大學，把寵物銀行變成「生命教育」場域，打造出兼具醫療照護、生命教育、人與動物交流環境，建立具有關懷動物生命與認知教育等多功能場所。
黃健峰指出，今年市府將有新計畫推動寵物友善城市，許多市民期待的寵物公園已在過年前評選出廠商進行規畫，預定將找適當的處所設立兩處寵物公園，也規畫結合學校，鄰里籌畫動保活動，與民間團體一起輔導社區投入動保。
（自由時報吳昇儒）
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