Veterinarians, New Power Party (NPP) officials and others on Monday urged the government to create better laws to protect service dogs.
Service animals play a significant role in protecting the nation, but their living conditions often do not reflect that importance, NPP legislator-at-large nominee and veterinarian Kuan Hsin-ling (關心羚) told a news conference that also included NPP think tank deputy chief executive officer Peng Sheng-shao (彭盛韶).
As a consultant for the New Taipei City Police Department’s canine unit, Kuan said that she has witnessed firsthand the poor living conditions of service animals, adding that police dogs sent to work with the coast guard came back underweight and unhealthy.
An investigation found that the kennel used by the coast guard was substandard and crowded, with 15 dogs housed in eight cages, she said.
“These dogs help the nation rescue people, catch drug smugglers and prevent African swine fever from entering our borders — they work very hard,” Kuan said. “I hope the government can establish rules to protect them.”
The government should establish an approval system for those seeking to work with service animals and budget funds for training government personnel interested in working with the animals, she said.
Kuan also recommended mandatory training for people planning to adopt pets, which would be operated by local animal protection offices.
The courses would cover animal habits and how to handle younger animals, and it would help prevent the abandonment of pets, she said.
Laws should also be amended to allow veterinarians to assist pet owners with registration, she said, citing similar policies in other nations.
Kuan also urged for the establishment of a veterinarians union to draft labor policies and minimum salaries to improve working conditions.
Universities and colleges with veterinary science programs should also offer veterinarian technologist courses — similar to medical technologist programs — which could provide better training for veterinarian assistants, she added.
Veterinarians are often tasked with more than just veterinary duties, such as helping injured wild animals with recovery, assisting disease prevention efforts and making food safety assessments, Kuan said.
Despite the workload, there are only three Council of Agriculture officials assigned to supervise them, she said.
A separate department should be established to supervise veterinarians, similar to what is done in Japan, Hong Kong and elsewhere, she added.
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