Owners of dogs and cats say pet care in Taiwan and Hong Kong is as different as “heaven and hell” during government-imposed quarantine, when the availability of support on the island contrasts starkly with the lack of government concern in the city.

The Taiwanese authorities received praise for the good arrangements, while their Hong Kong counterparts got the thumbs-down for an attitude that reeked of apathy.

Two Hong Kong pet owners who had to be isolated under COVID-19 measures complained about the lack of information provided by the city’s government on how to settle the daily care of their animals while they were away.

A pet owner named Kaka said she was classed as a close contact of an infected case last year. Given the short notice before she had to go into quarantine, Kaka could not get relatives or a pet grooming salon to take in her dog. She later found a friendly internet user who could help provide a temporary stay.

Suki had a similar story to tell. She said she was unable to obtain clear instructions on how to take care of her dogs during her time in quarantine in May this year.

Both said that pet owners in Hong Kong were left to their own devices to make alternative arrangements. They criticized the government for adopting a “don’t bother me” attitude when dealing with the situation.

In Taiwan, the authorities were quick to respond as the capital city Taipei recorded increasing numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases last month.

On May 15, three days after New Taipei City raised its pandemic alert level, the Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office announced measures to assist pet owners who needed to be quarantined.

The authorities worked with five pet hotels and set up a 24-hour hotline to help pet owners. Officers from the animal protection office would go to the patient’s home and sanitize the pet before sending it to one of the pet hotels or a temporary center, so the pet owners could receive treatment unhindered by extra worries.

The five pet hotels can provide 112 spaces in total. To lessen the pet owners’ financial burden, the cost for each pet per day is NT$300 (US$10.82). If the stay is longer than 14 days, the pet hotels will revert to their original prices.

Each pet will be sanitized again upon arrival at a pet hotel and will get to stay in a single room. Vets from the animal protection office will check on the animals’ health every week to ensure they are doing fine.

In Hong Kong, government arrangements for pets are simpler, according to Ho, a person in charge of Dogistic, a logistics company that provides emergency transport of animals.

Officers would use only water to clear the dog compartment, without sanitizing it, Ho added.

Ho’s company had been helping pet owners to take care of their animals since the second wave of COVID-19 broke out in the city.

He agreed that the government’s Department of Health and Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department were unconcerned about the needs of quarantined pet owners.

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