Dogs and cats are lovable animals to those who own them. The companionship these pets provide is valuable and even irreplaceable to people who live alone. Pet owners will do anything to make their animals happy. They feed and bathe their pets and take them to the vet for grooming, checkups or treatment. In so doing the pet owners themselves gain a tremendous amount of gratification and happiness.
        However, these adorable creatures can be troublesome sometimes. A child, for example, can be frightened or bitten by a fierce dog. And some postmen complain of being attacked by dogs when delivering letters. Also, speaking seriously, dogs often stray into classrooms and cause disturbances. As for cats, you can be kept sleepless all night by the endless meowing of a cat owned by a neighbor,
        Generally speaking, these are minor problems and are seldom seen as major threats to safety or peace and quiet. This was especially so in the old days, when most people were friendly towards their neighbors' dogs and cats.
        These days, the large population of dogs and cats has sig-nificantly changed people's feelings about these animals, especially when stray dogs are ubiquitous. The number of dogs in Taiwan is now estimated at two million and is growing rapidly. This huge dog population is having a significant impact on the environment. While there are countless animal lovers in our society, there arc probably more people who are concerned about the tidiness of their neighborhoods and so hope there are no stray dogs around.
        So far, the government has done little to control the population of dogs and cats, probably because officials arc unaware of bow grave the issue has become. While the government of each city and county has dog catchers to round up stray dogs, the approach has brought practically no results. The number of dog catchers is so small in each locality that they can capture only a tiny portion of the dogs roaming the streets. If the present trend is allowed to continue - if the number of stray dogs is to multiply at the present rate, it won't be long before dogs outnumber humans on this island.
        Something must be done - and quickly - to prevent that scenario from becoming reality. While a variety of measures can and should be adopted to solve the problem, the most crucial step is to impose certain controls on pet ownership.
        And fortunately, some government agencies have taken note of this issue and are beginning to take action.
The Council of Agriculture (COA) recently decided provisionally to impose strict restrictions on keeping dogs and cats as pets. The core of the policy is to require owners to get chip implants for their animals and to pay for the registration of their pets.
        Under the proposed policy, the owner of a dog or cat which is neutered will have to pay the government NT$1,200, whereas the ownership of one that is not neutered will cost NT$4,8004 Pet owners will have to report to the government when their animals die, are given away, or give birth. Newborn pets will need to be registered and implanted with chips.
        A fine of NT$2,000 to NT$10,000 will be imposed on anyone who violates the regulations. The heaviest penalty will be imposed on those who abandon their pets, who will be fined, NT'$10,000 to NT$50,000.
        There are fears now that the proposal will provoke strong and widespread bitterness among pet owners. Also, the COA has admitted that a great number of cats and dogs may be abandoned by their owners before the proposed policy is enforced. These fears may turn out to be real, even though the basic spirit and essential contents of the COA's proposal arc sound. It is appropriate, therefore, to modify the proposed regulations somewhat to make them really practicable and effective.