Department of Economic Development

　　Taipei City Mayer Ko Wen-je , on his white paper about new city policy wrote: “A city should give pets more space to play. Therefore I propose that parks and grass-grounds should add more pet-friendly space and facilities. If a park is big enough, we plan to set fences and compartments to let pets run and play freely in their areas, so people, dogs and cars won’t trouble each other.” On June 10th of 2017, the second dog area was opened. It is located in Daonan Riverside Park of Wanxing borough, Wenshan district, right opposite to the parking lot of Taipei Zoo (No. 30, Sec. Xinguang Road). It’s named as “Wanxing Dog Area,” and with its total area of 1,761.56 square meters, we have arranged the comparatively huge area for usage. Besides MRT and buses for transportation, citizens may drive to here, and it is walking distance for local residents. There are Yingfeng Dog Park, Huashan Park Dog Area, now is added Wanxing Dog Area. We can say that dogs are very happy living in Taipei City.

　　The Director of Taipei City Animal Protection Office, Yen I-Feng said: “By setting Dog Area with fences and compartments in the park, people, cars and dogs will not interfere each other, while dogs may run freely. This is also a part of Taipei City Government’s animal-friendly policies. Wanxing Dog Area is highly supported by the chief and residents of Wanxing borough, and started being built in 2016. On March 17th 2017, the dog area’s construction was completed. There are different areas for large dogs (1,277 square meters) and small canine breeds (484.56 square meters). The zone is close to Jingmei River, with natural trees beside. It’s great for pet owners to bring their dogs to come.”

　　The chief of Wanxing borough, Zhan Jin-Jian said: “Many residents in our neighborhood have dogs, and when I was elected chief of the borough I planned to build a park for dogs. The dog area wasn’t planned to be built in Wanxing borough in early 2016, but in November 2016, the Animal Protection Office called me, telling me that they have budget for building the dog area at Daonan Riverside Park. I felt so lucky having this gift, so I immediately arranged seminars for residents to discuss further. We then decided to expand the size of the area for dogs. Therefore Wanxing Dog Area is twice the size of the dog park of Huashan Park, and there are tress, restrooms, sinks and a big parking lot, which make visiting here very convenient. All neighborhood residents feel happy and expect the opening of the dog area.”

　　The officer from Taipei City Animal Protection Office indicates that Taipei is a densely populated metropolitan with huge amounts of houses and apartments, and there are many small parks. However, it’s not easy to find a place for dog activities. The Animal Protection Office had the idea of setting a dog area since 2015, and has spent about 2 years finding the right place. The staff of the office went to 26 parks for 32 times, and finally received the supports from chief Wu of Meihua borough and Chief Zhan of Wanxing borough. We finally set one dog activity zone in 2016, and plan to find other suitable venues in Shilin District and Beitou District.

　 　　Wanxing Dog Area has fences and two entrances to separate dogs and people, and there are benches for rest, as well boxes for cleaning dog poop and bulletin boards. In the future, the Animal Protection Office will provide dog waste bags for free, not only requesting pet owners to clean dog poop by themselves, but also sending cleaning squad to carry trashes, and to disinfect in order to avoid the birth of mosquitos and worms and unwelcoming odor, which can have proactive effect for animal infectious diseases. By coming here the dogs and pet owners can enjoy the clean, safe and dog leash free environment. On the grand opening day, we invited the trainers from “Taipei Cat and Dog School” to provides pet owners with free consultancy for pet behavior education. If the pet owners came for the whole event, they would receive coupons for experiencing the service, but only 30 gifts are prepared. The dog area welcomes all citizens to come for a visit.


　　

<