The Ministry of Agriculture has launched a digital pet identification system to improve animal welfare, and root out illegal breeding and smuggling.
The new digital identification (ID) cards would contain more information than previous ID documents, for example, a photograph of the pet, Animal Welfare Department Director Chiang Wen-chuan (江文全) told a news conference yesterday.
The ID cards would also include the pet’s birth date, the name of the owner, and whether the animal has been sterilized and vaccinated.
Photo: CNA
The online system was launched for convenience and because not enough information was included on the previous ID document, Chiang said.
Pet owners would now be able to view and update all information relating to their animal on the Pet Registration Information System (https://www.pet.gov.tw/).
Previously, owners were only issued paper documents, which they had to update in person at registration agencies.
Chiang said he hopes the new pet ID system would help clamp down on illegal breeding and animal smuggling, and give prospective pet owners information about the mother of the pet they are considering purchasing or adopting.
Potential pet owners would also be able alert to animal welfare agencies if they find anything suspicious, for example, if breeders fail to provide information about how the pet was bred, Chiang said.
Only dogs are required to be registered under the Animal Protection Act (動物保護法), but it is likely to become mandatory for cats, too, Chiang said.
Acting Minister of Agriculture Chen Junne-jih (陳駿季) said digital pet IDs help to trace where animals have come from and would help monitor breeding facilities.
Other policies would be proposed to encourage people to register their pets, for example, providing a discount on vaccines after registration, he added.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
Greenpeace yesterday said that it is to appeal a decision last month by the Taipei High Administrative Court to dismiss its 2021 lawsuit against the Ministry of Economic Affairs over “loose” regulations governing major corporate electricity consumers. The climate-related lawsuit — the first of its kind in Taiwan — sought to require the government to enforce higher green energy thresholds on major corporations to reduce emissions in light of climate change and an uptick in extreme weather. The suit, filed by Greenpeace East Asia, the Environmental Jurists Association and four individual plaintiffs, was dismissed on May 8 following four years of litigation. The
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
The New Taipei City Government would assist relatives of those killed or injured in last month’s car-ramming incident in Sansia District (三峽) to secure compensation, Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said yesterday, two days after the driver died in a hospital. “The city government will do its best to help the relatives of the car crash incident seek compensation,” Hou said. The mayor also said that the city’s Legal Affairs, Education and Social Welfare departments have established a joint mechanism to “provide coordinated assistance” to victims and their families. Three people were killed and 12 injured when a car plowed into schoolchildren and their
RSS