Page 58 - 2018 Annual Report Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan

Collective Innovation Sustainable Management Unit 2: Building Agricultural Models the neutering rate for dogs at 69.75% and 60.49% respectively. The COA, working with the Ministry of the Interior, completed domicile registration for pets, with updating of data in 2,475,422 cases between September of 2017 and the end of 2018. The COA also worked with animal welfare groups and pet industry groups to guide owners to take lifelong responsibility for their pets, and put an end to abandonment of dogs. Moreover, we implemented a management mechanism for breeding by specified pet businesses, and in 2018, we investigated 15,640 cases of illegal breeding or buying and selling of dogs, handing out administrative punishments in 50 cases. The government also amended the “Animal Protection Act” twice, thereby (i) putting into effect the management of performing animal businesses and protection of performing animals, (ii) strengthening fines for owners who fail to take responsibility for their pets, and (iii) strengthening nationwide education in animal protection. The COA subsidized the expansion project for the Miaoli County Ecological Conservation Education Center (the Miaoli Animal Shelter), which was completed on November 6, 2018. 56