The Taipei City Government is working on a self-government ordinance to deal with pet sitters, officials said on Thursday, as city councilors called for better regulation of the profession.
The Taipei Animal Protection Office is mulling a licensing scheme for freelance pet sitters that would require them to undergo 200 hours of training, office director Sung Nien-chieh (宋念潔) told a city council meeting.
This means freelance pet sitters would be held to the same standards that apply to pet hotel employees, she said.
The office is consulting animal welfare groups and academics before drafting the ordinance, with an eye to publicizing details
A Taipei program allowing pet owners to post their pet for adoption a month before taking them to a shelter has resulted in an adoption rate of less than 9 percent, independent Taipei City Councilor Lin Ying-meng (林穎孟) said on Monday last week, blaming the poor performance on a lack of effort by the city.
The “pet transfer” program, launched in 2018, allows an owner who is no longer able to care for their pet to first apply for a listing through the Taipei Animal Shelter.
If after 30 days a new owner does not come forward, the owner can take the