Environmental Protection Bureau of Taichung City Government is strengthening inspection on dog excrement in 2013. Cleaning teams are assigned to each administrative district to perform investigation and interdiction, especially on those popular places where people like to walk their dogs. A pet owner may be penalized by a fine of more than NT$ 3,000 but no more than NT$ 6,000 if he or she does not clear the shit left behind by his or her dog. As of July, more than 800 “professional courtesy” notes and 36 tickets have been given out.

According to the Environmental Protection Bureau, most of the violations took place at parks, greenways, pedestrian trails, roads around the residential areas, and areas surrounding the school campus. Among the 36 tickets, 1 was given because of a report by the public and the rest of 35 were written by the inspectors of Environmental Protection Bureau. Violations happened mainly on some areas, including the greenway on Gon Yi Road of West District; Dongguang Park Road of East District; the Shuter Park of South District; the Meichuan Greenway of Beitun District; the environmental parks, sports parks, and the greenways on Xinguang Road of Dali District; the neighborhood of District Office, Nanyang Park and Chung Cheng Park of Fengyuan District; Autonomy Park of Wurih District; Riverside Park of Dongshih District; Dadong Park of Waipu District; No. 4 Park of Houli District; and the surrounding area of Provincial Assembly in Wufeng District.

As almost all the dog shit was found on places where people go for recreational activities, the Environmental Protection Bureau urged people who walk their dogs there to leash their dogs and clear all the dog excrement. Pet owners are requested to expand their love of dogs to the environment, pay their duty to maintain the public areas clean, and make a contribution to environmental health.