TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taiwan Wildlife Parade is scheduled for Sunday (Nov. 10) beside the Legislative Yuan’s Chun-hsian building.
The event’s organizer, Taiwan Walk for Wildlife group, held a pre-march press conference at the Legislative Yuan Friday (Nov. 8) morning. The animal protection group outlined three main demands, according to CNA.
They focus on improving the management and reduction of stray dog and cat populations, convener Wu I-ta (吳奕達) said. These include clarifying pet ownership regulations, re-evaluating the effectiveness of TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) programs, and implementing stricter measures such as feeding bans in protected areas.
The group's three main proposals are:
1. Improving the management and reducing the population of stray dogs and cats. This includes implementing stricter measures such as banning feeding in protected areas and removing stray animals from these zones.
It also calls for clarifying pet ownership regulations, conducting thorough field studies, and re-evaluating the effectiveness of the TNR program. Releasing captured animals back into their original habitats can perpetuate existing problems such as environmental contamination, noise pollution, and conflicts with other species, per the Legislative Yuan.
2. To safeguard ecological hotspots, the group calls for strengthening and expanding management plans to eliminate stray dogs from these areas. This requires stricter enforcement of feeding bans.
3. The third demand aims to raise public awareness of wildlife conservation and responsible pet ownership. This includes integrating case studies of dogs and cats as invasive species into the school curriculum and ensuring comprehensive animal welfare education.
Last year's inaugural event attracted over 4,000 participants. The event focused on raising awareness about the negative impact of invasive domestic dogs and cats on native wildlife.
This year's event is expected to be even larger, with numerous speakers discussing wildlife conservation and animal welfare. A marketplace featuring 25 organizations and an exhibition area will provide attendees with information and educational materials.
