Tails are wagging across Taiwan after the government announced that starting June 6, dog and cat owners will be eligible for subsidies to care for their four-legged friends.

The subsidy program, part of the Incentives for Better Asset Utilization Program, was announced by the Department of Mammal Family Planning under the Council of Agriculture (COA) Spokesperson Wei Ar Jo Kin at a press conference on March 28.

Wei said that subsidies would be based on the pet’s weight and size and could be used to cover expenses for food, clothing, and other necessities. Additional monetary support will be provided to those training their pets to participate in the labor market through occupations in law enforcement, aid for the visually impaired, food quality assessment, and construction work.

The subsidies were welcome news to Taipei native Roger Lee, who has been training his dog for construction work since September last year. Lee has paid a total of NT$75,000 for certification courses and expects more expenses since his dog Butter has been slow to pick up certain skills.

“He is very good at digging holes, but we’re still struggling with teaching him how to manage tools,” he says. Once Butter obtains the right qualifications, he will start working for a monthly salary of NT$23,000.

Since dogs are not registered citizens, Butter will be exempt from income tax. However, he will also not be protected by labor laws, an issue that has upset many animal rights groups.

“Dogs need passports and vaccinations, and they are required to be in strollers on public transport,” says animal rights activist Sheng Qi. “They live in houses and now they’re expected to work – they’re basically already human. Why shouldn’t they be protected by labor laws just like the rest of us?”

Economists, however, argue that pets have for too long taken advantage of humans’ money without contributing to the economy themselves. The pet-related industry provides pets with a plethora of services, including grooming, therapy, hotels, and funeral services.

“These pets have basically created a system in which they let humans function as their welfare providers, paying for their food, accommodation, healthcare, and entertainment,” says Ben Dan, an analyst at Bani Qian Nachulai, a Taipei-based consultancy. As an example, he says pet funerals in Taiwan can cost between NT$20,000-300,000. “Pets cost humans a lot of money. Isn’t it time they start contributing more to the society they live in?”

The growth of the pet industry has also led to the creation of pet grooming and veterinary medicine courses at several universities in Taiwan. Although about 1,000 people get pet grooming licenses every year, there is still a shortage of workers in pet stores. Pet grooming junior assistants can complete training in four to six months, but bathing dogs and cats is laborious work, leading many people to move on from the job after a short time.

“We’re facing a labor shortage in all sorts of industries,” says Dan. “Allowing the pets to join the job market beyond law enforcement and aid for the blind will fill some of that gap.”

The new policy comes amid an increasing number of people choosing their furry kids over human children. In fact, March COA data show that Taiwan’s pet industry generates more than NT$60 billion (US$1.96 billion) annually, and the number of pets is now nearing the number of children under 14.

Over 2 million cats and dogs were registered in Taiwan in 2021, while there were 2.89 million children, making it likely that the number of pets will surpass the number of children before 2027. Last year, the number of new registered domestic cats also surpassed registered dogs, with 135,059 registered cats and 106,916 registered dogs.

One of the many Taiwanese choosing to have pets rather than children is Miss Chen, a 37-year-old New Taipei resident.

“Dogs give me unconditional love and are there for me when I return home from work,” says Chen. “That’s why I gave my own child up for adoption and swapped him for a Shiba Inu as my low wages couldn’t support both.”

Chen says the cost of education, frequent hours-long parent-teacher conferences, and an increasingly antagonistic attitude from her child were the driving forces behind her ultimate decision to give the child up in favor of Soba the Shiba.

Taiwan’s low birth rate and aging population are expected to place additional burden on the healthcare system. By 2025, 20% of the population will be over the age of 65, making Taiwan a super-aged society. The government is therefore also exploring how pets can be trained to assist humans in healthcare. For example, Doctor Ah-qua Jones says larger dogs could be trained to move medical equipment. However, the issue of liability has thus far been the biggest hurdle to implementation.

“Right now, the healthcare system relies heavily on family members to help care for patients,” says Jones. “If pets employed by hospitals take on some of these responsibilities, it will mean a higher liability risk for the hospitals. It’s a risky move, but with the current staffing shortage, it might be the only solution.”

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