A groundbreaking ceremony for a new building for the Taipei Animal Shelter and Taipei City Animal Protection Office was held yesterday, with construction scheduled to be completed in 2027 and open in 2028.
The city government began planning the construction of a new animal shelter in 2016, and after dealing with two failed tenders, finding a new location, urban planning, inflation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenges, the groundbreaking ceremony was held in Neihu District (內湖) yesterday.
Taipei adopted a zero euthanasia policy in 2017, which led to the overcrowding of the old shelter, said the Taipei Public Works Department’s Geotechnical Engineering Office, which is entrusted with the construction project.
Photo: Ho Yu-hua, Taipei Times
The new four-story shelter would be the largest shelter in the nation, it added.
The project has a budget of NT$1.45 billion (US$44.11 million), including a NT$1.27 billion construction fee, and is scheduled to be completed in 1,140 days, the office said.
The first floor of the new shelter would be for medical diagnosis, treatment and quarantine, while animal adoption areas, such as spaces for visiting and interaction, and a coffee shop would be on the second floor, it said.
Animals would live on the third floor, where cats and dogs would be separated, while the Taipei City Animal Protection Office would occupy the fourth floor, which is expected to improve management efficiency and make public consultations more convenient, the office said.
The new animal shelter is important for animal protection and welfare, and is a concrete representation of Taipei as a sustainable city, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said, referencing the saying: “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”
The building would also have recreational facilities for animals, he said, adding that there would be an air-conditioning system to improve the smell, soundproofing for noise control and an exercise space.
Animal Protection Office Commissioner Chen Ying-hao (陳英豪) said the core aim of the animal shelter reconstruction project is to accelerate and increase pet adoption rates.
Chen said they had visited animal shelters in Europe, and designed the new shelter with animal welfare and needs as their priority.
Hopefully it can also serve as an educational venue for visitors, Chen added.
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