TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taipei City Animal Protection Office (台北市動物保護處) reported on Wednesday (Feb. 5) that it fined seven pet owners in 2024 for failing to vaccinate their pets against rabies. Each first-time offender received a NT$30,000 penalty.
The office issued these fines under the "Act on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Animal Diseases" (動物傳染病防治條例), which mandates fines ranging from NT$30,000 to NT$150,000 for non-compliance.
In 2024, the office investigated 923 cases of suspected non-compliance, 644 of which involved dogs and 279 of which involved cats. To prevent rabies, the office plans to intensify inspections in 2025, including conducting random checks in public places. It will also notify pet owners via text, mail, or phone to ensure timely vaccinations.
The Animal Protection Office added that it will offer free rabies vaccinations at Taipei's Department of Information and Tourism's (台北市觀光傳播局) picnic event at Da'an Park (大安森林公園) on March 15. The office emphasized that rabies is a zoonotic disease with a high mortality rate after onset, noting that wild animals such as ferret badgers and masked palm civets in Taiwan test positive for the virus each year.