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COA calls for strict quarantine inspection for pets

2005-10-13

2005-10-13 / Taiwan News, Contributing Writer / By Yang Jie

 

Council of Agriculture Minister Lee Ching-lung
Council of Agriculture Minister Lee Ching-lung says if a dog, cat or bird is to be imported into Taiwan, the pet owner should apply for an import permit ahead of time./ Courtesy of Raymond Yang

In Taiwan, keeping a pet has almost become a national sport in recent years. It is because of this that the pet trade's annual revenues are growing, and owning a pet has now become a popular pastime.

Though pets have become integral parts of the daily life of many citizens, most pet owners know little about the government agency responsible for regulating pets: the Council of Agriculture. In fact, COA Minister Dr. Lee Ching-lung has introduced a series of policies relating to pets in order to help domestic animal lovers provide a safe and secure environment for the animals in their care.

Ensuring pet health before import/export

With the domestic pet market keeps expanding, many pet shops and pet owners have begun to import and export pets from home and abroad. According to Lee, before importing or exporting pets, pet shops or pet owners must ensure that the pets are healthy enough to withstand the stress of being transported to or from Taiwan.

Second, there are many different kinds of pets, and most countries apply different disease control and animal protection regulations to govern the import/export of different kinds of animals. Therefore, if we import/export animals without careful consideration, their lives may be endangered and importers/exporters will have violated related laws and regulations if the immigration of these animals is rejected. In this case, we recommend pet owners to check the import/export regulations of both the importing and exporting countries in advance in order to prevent any regret or loss.

According to the COA's Lee, if a dog, cat or bird is to be brought into Taiwan, the pet owner should make prior application for an import permit to the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine, or BAPHIQ. Then, the applicant should complete the export inspection and quarantine of the pet in the exporting country and obtain an animal quarantine inspection certificate from the exporting country as specified in the import permit. When the pet arrives in Taiwan, its owner should submit the import permit and the animal quarantine inspection certificate to a local BAPHIQ branch or station to apply for the import quarantine inspection. If the application involves the import of pet insects, the pet-owner should provide to the BAPHIQ for risk evaluation information regarding the exporting country, species and detailed biological data of the insect to be imported, including its technical name, life history, eating habits (patterns), reproductive power, and economic hazards, Lee added. If they are non-hazardous species, the pet owner may apply for an import permit by submitting to the BAPHIQ the following information: the species of insect, quantity of import, exporting country, anticipated date of import, and the name and address of sender.

For export of pets, pet owners should first make sure that the pet to be exported is allowed for export in accordance with the Wildlife Conservation Act and related rules and regulations of Taiwan and obtain the import permit from the importing country. Then, pet owners should submit these documents to a local BAPHIQ branch or station to apply for an export quarantine inspection. After the BAPHIQ determines that the pet to be exported is legal for export, the BAPHIQ will issue an export quarantine inspection certificate for the pet owner to apply for an import quarantine inspection to the importing country, Lee said.

Preventing zoonoses

Most pet owners physically live with their pets. The government is concerned that imported animals could carry zoonoses, or contagious diseases than can be transmitted from animals to humans. Minister Lee noted that many emerging infectious diseases or re-emerging infectious diseases have broken out around the world in recent years, and some are zoonoses.

As living standards have improved inTaiwan, more residents are keeping pets, which only exacerbates the potential for the spread of disease. The more popular pets include the tradtional dogs, cats and rabbits, as well as more recently popular varieties such as golden hamsters, lizards (iguanas), snakes, Formosan masked civets, ferrets, and porcupines. Because they are kept inside the house, they are physically a member of the family, eating and sleeping with their owners. Therefore, if they suffer a zoonosis, pet owners and their family will be easily infected. Therefore, before keeping a pet, the COA recommends that owners have their pets checked by a licensed veterinary to ensure their health condition. Second, pet owners should learn how to prevent zoonoses when they are keeping them to ensure their personal health.

 

This is part of a series of special reports sponsored by the Council of Agriculture,Executive Yuan.
This is part of a series of special reports sponsored by the Council of Agriculture,Executive Yuan. / Courtesy of Raymond Yang

According to COA Minister Lee, do not keep wildlife of unknown origin as a pet is the first step to prevent zoonoses. Some wildlife carries unknown contagious diseases that can be transmitted to humans and even become an epidemic or pandemic. Take the SARS broke out in 2003 for example, it is believed that the origin of the disease is wildlife from the jungle. For another example, the prairie dog that imported to the USA from Africa in 2003 initiated the spread of monkeypox (tanapox). Therefore, citizens should avoid direct contacts with wildlife and avoid keeping wildlife as pets. In doing so, we can also help to reduce the catching and abandoning of wildlife in order to maintain their right of survival.

Avoiding contacts with or buying pets

of unknown sources

Furthermore, pet owners should avoid contacts with or buying animals of unknown sources. According to Minister Lee, even common dogs and cats can carry zoonoses, such as the rabies. At present only Taiwan, Japan, Sweden, Britain, Iceland, Australia, New Zealand and some other regions are unaffected areas of rabbis. It means that the rabies is highly contagious, particularly in China where hundreds of people are killed by the diseases every year. In fact the number of rabies patients in China has been rising over the past 7 years by 2004, indicating that rabies is out of control in China. Minister Lee maintained, no rabies case has been found in Taiwan over the past 40 years. Therefore, to eliminate the intrusion of rabies, the BAPHIQ braches or stations at international ports and stations carry out quarantine inspection on legal import dogs and cats and have reinforced cooperation with the customs and service to seize dog and cat smuggling. To reinforce quarantine work, Minister Lee also asks the public not to come in contact with or buy animals of unknown origin and to report to competent authorities when discovering any alleged trades of such animals in order to keep rabies out of Taiwan. Citizens can report any smuggling of animals to the BAPHIQ hotline at 0800-039131, or by mail to Taipei P.O. Box 5-40.

Having pets vaccinated and parasites removed at planned intervals

Minister Lee also reminds citizens to have their pets vaccinated or parasites on their body removed at planned intervals in order prevent zoonoses. Many zoonoses can be prevented by vaccination or expulsion of animal parasites, such as rabies, Lyme disease, leptospirosis, ascariasis, dipylidium caninum, canine hookworms etc. As far as pet-owners have their pets vaccinated or parasites on their body expelled parasite at planned intervals from a licensed veterinary hospital, they can keep their pets and themselves safe and healthy.

Second, good household hygiene management is a must to prevent diseases. Minister Lee reminds citizens to wash their hands thoroughly with soap after direct contacts with their pets or their excretions and to wash and disinfect the activity areas of their pets inside their premises. While Amblyomma, mosquitoes and insects can be the transmitter of a number of diseases, they should be eliminated as early as possible to reduce the chances of spread of these diseases. Also, pet owners should receive medical checkup at planned intervals in order to discover zoonoses as early as possible. Once a zoonsis is diagnosed, pet owners should receive proper medical treatment and prevent the disease from infecting other healthy family or pets, so that they won't be the transmitter of zoonoses.

Pet owners should pay attention to zoonosis information overseas. Related information will be posted on the BAPHIQ or CDC Taiwan websites for your reference. Citizens may also consult their veterinaries or physicians. Pet owners are also recommended to pay attention to the latest information and government policies relating to emerging infectious diseases of animals in order to take proper precautions. Minister Lee reminds citizens to understand the condition of infectious disease in a certain country or region before visiting there. If any zoonosis broke out, citizens should avoid visiting there or take proper precautions in advance and prevent direct contacts with local patients or animals.