Taiwan to provide subsidised insurance for active-duty service dogs

The insurance will cover up to five outpatient visits per year.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Agriculture announced that active-duty service dogs in public agencies will be insured under a new policy, with premiums fully subsidised by the government, reported Taipei Times. 

The policy, developed by Nan Shan General Insurance Co, will cost NT$13,374 per dog annually.

The insurance will cover up to five outpatient visits per year, as well as hospitalisation, surgery, and funeral costs. 

Enrollment will begin in September, with the Ministry set to amend the Regulations for the Care and Management of Government Working Dogs in January 2026 to make insurance mandatory.

Minister of Agriculture Chen Junne-jih said coverage would later be extended to include medical expenses for retired service dogs and search-and-rescue dogs, with the government considering partial subsidies for them.

As of March, there were 292 active-duty service dogs in government agencies across Taiwan.