Ministry to launch pet gift card lottery to encourage pet registration

Taipei, Aug. 25 (CNA) The Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) on Tuesday announced that it will launch a lottery in September offering 30,000 "pet gift cards" worth NT$300 (US$9.42) each and 100 pet health-check packages valued at NT$3,000 each to owners of registered dogs and cats.

The gift cards can be used to purchase pet food or agricultural products at 436 participating stores, while the health check packages can be redeemed at licensed veterinary institutions, with receipts eligible for reimbursement of up to NT$3,000, the ministry said in a statement.

Under the lottery rules, pet owners can log into the "Pet Owners' Section" (飼主專區) of the MOA's Pet Registration Information System from Sept. 1-30 and select the "Pet Gift Card Program" to verify their pets' registration information and enter the draw. Each dog or cat is eligible for one entry.

Eligibility is restricted to individuals, not legal persons.

Owners who have not yet registered their pets can also enter the lottery as long as they complete the registration process by Sept. 30, the ministry said.

The draw will be held Oct. 2 and livestreamed on the Animal Welfare Information Website (動物保護資訊網) YouTube channel.

MOA Department of Animal Welfare Director Chiang Wen-chuan (江文全) said pet registration helps establish clear identification records, increasing the chances of recovering pets that go missing and facilitating vaccination and spaying and neutering programs.

Pet registration is also an important part of efforts to control the stray dog population in Taiwan, he added.

Under the Animal Protection Act, dogs and cats must be registered within four months of birth. Violators can be fined between NT$3,000 and NT$15,000.

According to the MOA, Taiwan had an estimated 1.46 million pet dogs in 2025, with 75.47 percent microchipped, up from 61.84 percent in 2021.

Cat registration became mandatory on Jan. 1, 2026, and the ministry estimates that there are about 1.74 million pet cats in Taiwan. The microchip rate among cats rose from 49.83 percent in 2023 to 63.75 percent in 2025, MOA data showed.