TaiPET City: Taipei Provides Ample Opportunities for Pet Owners to Enjoy the City with their Furry Friends

TEXT　Hollie Younger

PHOTOS　Chen Cheng-Kuo, Vision

Taipei, the birthplace of the world's first cat café, has seen a surge in pet ownership in recent years. Pets are everywhere. You might catch sight of a Shiba Inu sporting sunglasses in a stroller or a skateboarding pup cruising through a pedestrian zone. Even parrots can be seen perched on their owners' shoulders. From the quirky to the adorable, this city's love for animals is undeniable. Following, we introduce some of Taipei's best spots for pet lovers and animal enthusiasts alike.

There are a total of 21 dog-friendly parks in the city with areas for off-leash fun. The best-known and undoubtedly Fido's favorite is Yingfeng Dog Park in Songshan District. This 1ha dog sports park, split into areas for small (under 9kg) and large doggies, lets man's best friend run with abandon through the grass, splash in a paddling pool, sniff out some new friends, and frolic with various obstacles, such as tunnels and seesaws.

Similar to Yingfeng, other dog-friendly areas are located in riverside parks, such as Tanmei, Zhoumei, Meiti, Sanjiaodu, and Fushun (all along Keelung River); Yanping (Tamsui River); Huajiang, Huazhong, and Guting (Xindian River). Huashan, located along Civic Boulevard, and Jingqin, near Taipei Medical University, are closer to residential areas. Perhaps the most convenient and centrally located dog-friendly area is Xinyi Plaza, a round fenced-off green space in the shadow of towering Taipei 101, perfect for low-angle dog shots with the skyscraper as background.

In 2017, the city introduced dog-friendly bus services, with leashed dogs of all sizes welcome on designated buses . There are now 19 dog-friendly bus routes in total, all with stops near parks with dog facilities in all of Taipei's 12 districts. When riding a bus, pooches must sit by their owners' feet. The drivers are prepared to accommodate pets and their owners, and some emergency clean-up supplies are available on board. For information about all dog-friendly bus routes and parks, visit the web page of the Taipei City Animal Protect ion Office: https://bit.ly/dogfriendlytaipei (Chinese).

Restaurants for Pet Lovers

In addition to its official pet-friendly services and facilities, Taipei boasts a thriving community of pet-loving entrepreneurs. These individuals have created a variety of businesses that welcome both pets and their owners. For instance, the city has several pet-friendly cafés and even a photography studio that specializes in capturing animals' unique personalities.

In the history-rich district of Dadaocheng, the iconic red-brick façades, baroque flourishes, and arched corridors hark back to the heyday of the nineteenth-century tea trade. On the quieter end of Taipei's oldest street, Dihua Street, one heritage teahouse still retains charming original features, but instead of being used to dry tea leaves, the open courtyard now houses a resident pet duck. No longer flogging Formosan Oolong tea, this is now a place with a cosmopolitan menu that offers set meals for dogs.

This is Oppa Poodle, a café catering to people and pets. It is home to a golden-haired sausage dog, a happy duck, and the adorable pair of gigantic OMG and Oppa, Standard Poodles with nothing standard about them. Almost the size of a small Shetland pony, they'll smile for selfies and sit up at the table as you feed them their favorite, chicken cake with egg-white frosting.

Patrons are welcome to bring their pets; just check with the boss in advance. All the house animals at Oppa Poodle are friendly, interacting with guests and, during our visit, one couple's curious pet duck named QBoy.

The café has a minimum spend requirement. I ordered a brown-sugar iced latte for myself and a canine cake for the resident dogs – I did not bring a pet – that looked good enough for me to eat. Oppa Poodle also has an extensive menu of creature comforts on the food side for humans, from chicken wings to truffle pasta.

Oppa Poodle 大稻埕贵宾

🚩302, Sec. 1, Dihua St., Datong District

📞(02) 2550-9399

🔗facebook.com/oppapoodle

🕝12:00pm-8:00pm

Some might say that cat cafés are among Taiwan's greatest gifts to the world. Since the first such café opened in Taipei in 1998, the city has become a haven for feline friends, with numerous spots to sip a coffee and cuddle with cats.

One of these cafés stands out for its altruistic approach to our beloved felines. Hidden Duoduo, in Songshan District, doubles up as a halfway house for 35 adoptable street cats searching for forever homes. Since opening the café in 2019, the owners have taken calls night and day to rescue abandoned kitties. I met Nina, a playful ginger kitten, who I have learned has since been adopted, along with Kiwi, a threelegged rescue, who staff reassured me can jump and run around just like his friends.

▲Kiwi, a three-legged rescue cat

If you establish a special bond, you can apply to take home your new four-legged, or even three-legged, friend. The adoption process requires an interview and home visit. In the basement of the café is a wall plastered with polaroids of successful adoptees and their new parents.

The airy two-story café is a nice place to enjoy afternoon tea or coffee while playing with the cats. I opted for grape juice with a gooey chocolate brownie and ice cream. The café requires a minimum spend on weekends, and on weekdays each visitor must at least purchase a drink.

Hidden Duoduo 朵朵尝尝

🚩17-2, Ln. 222, Dunhua N. Rd., Songshan Dist.

📞0928-010-063

🔗facebook.com/hiddenduoduo

🕝Tue-Sat 12:00pm-9:00pm; Sun 12:00pm-6:00pm

Animal Photography

Located in a lane off busy Chongqing North Road in Datong District is Something Studio, the brainchild of a pet lover, Mr. Yang, who set up this photography studio in 2018. The space is reminiscent of an artsy New York loft: a white, airy penthouse with the largest windows I've seen in any traditional Taiwanese building. Here, he shoots minimalist photographs of four-legged friends and all sorts of other animals.

"You really captured her personality!" a customer exclaims, leaving the studio with a rendered A4 frame of her ginger kitten waving cheekily for the camera. Yang is a master at seizing the perfect moment. He believes that almost anyone can take a cute photo, but he uses each 30min photo session to really understand every pet's quirks, encouraging them to jump through their owner's arms, pose in cute dresses, or, in the case of one rabbit, wear plastic arms. He'll capture the perfect shot mid-sneeze to create a rock star portrait.

▲Da Lang(right) is an adopted Miniature Schnauzer

All members of the animal kingdom can be captured: he's worked with rabbits, owls, chameleons, and hens. Clients are welcome to bring their pet's favorite accessories and toys or choose from Yang's whimsical collection. The photographer is a bona fide animal whisperer – owners can relax, and he understands little accidents happen in this line of business. He can calm an over-agitated German Shepherd, harness the energy of an excited Husky, and make an anxious feline feel right at home. He is also able to accommodate foreign pet owners who don't speak Chinese.

However, Yang's primary mission is to help as many animals as possible through his work. On Wednesdays, Something Studio offers a free outreach to animal shelters across the greater Taipei area, photographing rescue cats and dogs in search of a loving home. He skillfully captures the pups posing in front of a whiteboard to showcase their best looks and unique personalities.

Yang had noticed that most adoption ads feature poor-quality photos of sad-looking animals. Pity brings in donations, but as the proud owner of a rescue dog himself, he realized that playful,  expressive shots were more effective at capturing the hearts of prospective owners. Yang hopes to turn the tide, proving that rescue dogs are just as lovable as pedigree purebreds.

One success story is Da Lang, a mixed gray Miniature Schnauzer, who spent thirteen years in foster homes. After a shoot with Wang, he found his forever home to live out the rest of his days. His new parents brought him back to the studio for another shoot, where he posed for one of the studio's most iconic shots, a grumpy canine in a roll-neck sweater.

Somethingstudio 三牲工作室

🚩2F, 315, Sec. 3, Chongqing N. Rd., Datong Dist.

🕝10:00am-5:30pm (Closed on Thu. & Sat.)

🔗somethingstudiotaiwan.com