The COA aims to comprehensively upgrade animal welfare, and also to address the problem of inadequate effectiveness of animal protection on the part of some local governments which lack sufficient resources. The COA filed a mid-term policy plan with the Executive Yuan, and has received approval for two programs: (1) "Public Infrastructure 2014-1018: Plan Improving Government Animal Control Shelters and Facilities" and (2) "Social Development 2015-2018: Plan Governing Effectiveness of Animal Protection Administration." These will expand assistance to local governments to comprehensively strengthen animal protection work.

　　The former of these two plans will focus on "hardware" aspects—improvement of animal shelters that are not compatible with animal welfare rules, do not offer facilities for isolating or preventing the spread of communicable diseases, or that cause neighbors to raise objections. Work was begun in 2014 in Kaohsiung City, Miaoli County, Yilan County, and Chiayi City. It is expected that by the completion of the four-year program, every government animal shelter in the nation will have modernized buildings, diversified functions, sophisticated facilities, and expert services. The animals in these shelters will enjoy higher quality care and greater dignity, while the healthier and more humane atmosphere will attract more people who want pets to visit shelters and thereby raise the adoption rate for these animals.

　　The latter of these two plans will assist local governments to add personnel in order to: (a) enforce rules regarding pet registration, (b) monitor and enforce rules regarding the pet industry, (c) handle cases of animal abuse, and (d) professionally manage shelters. The COA has also adopted a target of expanding the neutering of dogs and cats to 100,000 per year. We are also strengthening pet registration enforcement and investigations of illegal breeding, in order to hit the problem at its source. The COA is also helping non- governmental animal welfare organizations to upgrade their operating capabilities and improve effectiveness, with the expectation that these organizations will play a powerful role in burden- sharing. In the long run, we hope that we can follow the model of advanced countries and eventually turn sheltering of animals, as well as investigation or inspection work related to animal welfare, over to non-governmental organizations. The ultimate goal is always to comprehensively upgrade animal welfare.

　　The COA has also proposed amendments to the Animal Protection Act that will further improve the standard of animal welfare in Taiwan. Major features of these amendments cover: (a) management of animal food quality at the source, (b) establishment by local governments of an agency specially responsible for animal welfare, and/or permission for local governments to commission non-governmental organizations to undertake animal protection investigations, (c) permission for veterinarians to use medications for humans to treat sick companion animals, (d) strengthening of pet owner obligations, (e) requirement of a license for any business involving animal performance, (f) management and protection of dogs with special functions (working dogs), (g) reducing the time required to process adoptions from animal shelters, (h) halting, in two years, the policy of euthanizing animals in shelters after 12 days, (i) requiring all dog owners, in principle, to ensure no reproduction, and a requirement that those wishing to breed dogs must apply for permission, (j) providing for police assistance in enforcing the Animal Protection Act, (k) provisions for up to one year in prison for deliberately acting to cause serious harm or death to an animal, or slaughtering dogs or cats, and (l) establishment of a reward for reporting violations of the Animal Protection Act. The COA is working as quickly as possible to draft all corresponding measures for effective implementation, and assisting local governments in enforcement.

　　Another COA focus is ensuring more humane treatment of animals in the transport and slaughtering process. We have adopted regulations governing animal transport and standards for humane slaughtering of livestock in order to set norms for (a) the transport of pigs, cattle, and sheep, (b) humane slaughtering methods for livestock and poultry, and (c) training for persons working in these industries. To ensure effective implementation of the policy, the COA oversees local governments in conducting 400 inspections of transport and slaughtering each year. As of the end of 2014, 3,138 persons had received certification for attending courses for animal transport workers. In 2014 the COA held 15 courses for transport workers and 21 for slaughterhouse workers, with 753 attendees. We are in this way helping the industry enhance its professionalism.