January 29, 2006
While dogs remain Taiwan's most popular pet, the percentage of households raising dogs dropped from 15.5% in 2003 to 12.4% in 2005, according to the 2005 results of a survey of pets in Taiwan conducted by the Council of Agriculture every two years. The survey shows the percentage of households with cats has stayed at 2.2% over this period, while those that have chosen other pets have climbed from 5.3% to 5.7%.
Birds, fish, turtles, rodents and rabbits have been common pets in Taiwan, but interest in alternative pets is growing. COA figures show that the average numbers of sugar gliders and ferrets imported each of the last two years were 4,000 and 3,000 respectively. Hedgehogs are also among the more popular new pets in Taiwan. Most owners of these three types of alternative pets are office workers and "double income, no kids" households, according to the survey.
Taiwan's pet dog population stood at 1,131,374 in 2005, down 223,839, or 16.5%, from 2003. The increasing popularity of having dogs neutered and spayed is one of the reasons cited for the decline in the number of households raising canines. The percentage of dogs undergoing such operations in Taiwan has risen to 51%. With the Year of the Dog approaching, the COA is concerned that a temporary dog craze could lead to a rise in the number of abandoned dogs in the future and has called on the public to consider carefully the reality of owning a dog.
(Central News Agency)
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