On October 4, World Animal Day, Taiwanese animal welfare groups take a look at the pivotal role of community leaders in promoting animal health, often as the grassroots support that gets important policy change started.
The Taiwan Animal Protection Monitor Network released a survey looking at 1,747 households in the Wanhua district, of which 14% kept pets, with dogs and cats as the two highest. 70% of dog owners and 67% of cat owners complied with chipping and sterilizing, which is higher than the national average but still can be improved. The bump up could also be attributed to community leaders’ activism, as one member of the surveyed community noted that they personally encourage pet owners to take responsibility for their animals.
Taiwan Animal Protection Monitor Network Secretary General Ho Tsung-hsun (何宗勳) said that community surveys especially have major benefits if done by leaders, who understand the needs and problems of a community best. When those people get involved, they become akin to frontline workers, helping smooth over community exchanges, promoting animal welfare and education, and helping to levy officials into implementing policy change.
In recognition of this, Ho said that his organization, in conjunction with the Agricultural Ministry, has launched an animal protection network that aims to provide community leaders with information and resources to promote animal protection. Ho also called on the government to continue to address animal welfare issues, starting from the community-level up.