No More Free-Roaming in Rural Areas! New Taipei City's Animal Protection Office Sterilizes 2,213 Stray Dogs and Cats Through 'Catch, Neuter, Manage' Initiative

"The dog just goes out for a walk and will come back later!" This is a common pet-keeping belief in some rural communities. However, allowing dogs to roam freely poses risks such as traffic accidents, chasing vehicles, biting people, uncontrolled breeding, and getting lost. It may also lead to conflicts between residents and dogs. The New Taipei City Government Animal Protection and Quarantine Office continues to deepen animal protection efforts in remote areas by establishing a community-based stray dog management system through "census, sterilization, and management." Recently, it collaborated with the Sanchi Gongrong Community Development Association and the Shimen Songshan Community Development Association to conduct outreach activities, integrating the strengths of communities, village chiefs, residents, and animal protection agencies to shift stray dog management from "simple capture" to "source control."

The Gongrong Community in Sanchi District and the Songshan Community in Shimen District had a total of nine unsterilized stray dogs—five in Gongrong and four in Songshan. After residents reported them, the Animal Protection Office's control team successfully trapped and sterilized all of them. Gongrong Community Development Association Chairman Wu Siwei and Baxian Village Chief Yang Zhenfeng united local forces, encouraging residents to proactively report unsterilized dogs, after which the Animal Protection Office assisted with trapping and sterilization.

In Songshan Community, Community Development Association Chairman Zheng Ximing and Shanxi Village Chief Xu Ahuang worked together to promote community dog sterilization and management. The outreach events in both communities attracted around 90 residents. Through the "Stray Dog Community Management Promotion Presentation," officials explained management methods to the public and promoted animal protection concepts such as the ban on using leg-hold traps, gradually establishing a community management model with shared resident participation.

Veterinarian Xie Hongbin stated that to ensure convenient sterilization services in remote areas, the office continues to promote下乡 sterilization and mobile veterinary clinics. In 2025 (Minguo 114), 34下乡 sterilization events were held, resulting in 709 dogs and cats being sterilized. From January to May 2026 (Minguo 115), 16 events have already been held, assisting in the sterilization of 431 dogs and cats—reaching approximately 60% of the total下乡 sterilization volume from the entire previous year in just five months. Citywide stray dog and cat sterilization efforts continue to advance, with 4,148 animals sterilized in 2025 and 2,213 completed by the end of July 2026, steadily reducing breeding and straying issues at the source.

The New Taipei City Animal Protection Office emphasized that stray dog management is not "capture and done," but requires understanding the origin and population of dog groups. Only by reducing reproduction through sterilization can the population gradually decline. The office encourages the public to fulfill responsible pet ownership through "registration, sterilization, and no free-roaming." If injured or animals in need of rescue are found, please call the 1959 Animal Protection Rescue Hotline. The Animal Protection Office will dispatch personnel to assist, jointly creating a safe and friendly environment where people, dogs, and other animals can live in harmony.