Taiwan News
Date: 2016-02-05
By: Chia Lee, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Pet business operators may have to register their pets with the city council and implement mandatory chipping of the pets they handle, starting as soon as May, said the Council of Agriculture (COA) Thursday.

COA’s Animal Husbandry Department division head Chiang Wen-chuan, invited animal protection groups and pet business owners Thursday to discuss the amendment of related regulations, and if passed, pet business operators in the future would have to register online and have their pets microchipped, the council said.

In addition, the current regulation is to be extended to all cats and dogs, as opposed to dogs only. The move is to prevent illegal breeding and trade, as well as animal cruelty, said Chiang, and violators of the new regulation could be fined up to NT$15,000, or even suspended from practice.     [FULL  STORY]