Taipei City Government

On May 15, Mayor Chiang Wan-an arrived at Taipei Municipal Dazhi High School to inspect the integration of “campus dogs” and “campus cats” into the animal welfare and protection curricula for students.

During his address, the mayor remarked that he is happy to meet the three campus dogs of Dazhi High School – Angel, Xiao Bai, and Xiao Lang. He expressed his gratitude to the faculty and students for taking good care of the cute animals. Noting that expansion of animal welfare education at local schools is a policy which the city admiration team sees as important.

Dazhi High School also designed the “Barking Friends” program and introduced students to the profession of veterinarians. The kids learn not only about how to feed and take care of furry friends, but also experienced an important life lesson when they said goodbye to the now-deceased campus dog Marlboro.

Chiang praised the approach adopted by the Department of Education and Animal Protection Office (APO) – especially the creative idea of integrating life education with stray animal adoption program. Currently, a total of 43 stray dogs and 43 stray cats have been incorporated into the program which spans several elementary, middle, and high schools across Taipei. The city government subsidizes NT$4,000 for the annual insurance for each of these campus dogs and cats.

The mayor also recalled his visit to the APO’s “midway home” for stray animals in early May. He reported that the facility will undergo overhaul starting 2024, with completion slated for 2026. The renovated facility will not only continue to serve as a temporary home for stray dogs and cats, but will also integrate functions as a life education center. He encourages the public to adopt pets instead of buying them.

As for dog parks, the mayor pointed out that there are currently 19 facilities in Taipei City. The city government plans to open two more dog parks this year – one in Neihu Distirct and another in Xinyi District. This is one of the policies that will further transform Taipei into an animal-friendly city.