TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A number of furry companions basked in the light of divine protection in New Taipei at an event promoting pet adoption on Sunday (Feb. 13).

In a Lantern Festival tradition, people visit temples to light a lantern or candle and pray for good fortune and the deities’ protection in the coming year. Only this year at Banqiao District's Jieyun Temple, pets became the subjects rather than people. 

Organized by the Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office, the event saw four dogs and three cats successfully adopted and blessed.

Pet owners who brought their felines and canines to the venue for a chip implant or rabies vaccination were also invited to join their furkids as they passed through the “Peace and Safety Bridge,” a Taoist custom to ward off evil spirits.

Jieyun Temple is one of four temples in Banqiao with over a century's worth of history. New Taipei has been exploring innovative ways to boost adoption rates for sheltered animals and implement measures that improve pet well-being in a bid to become a more animal-friendly city, according to the city government.

"Good-fortune lamps" for pets. (New Taipei City Government photos)