Guest guest Posted July 16, 2006 Report Share Posted July 16, 2006 Dog cruelty case shows need for tighter animal protection rules, groups say By Shih Hsiu-chuan STAFF REPORTER Taipei Times Thursday, Jun 29, 2006,Page 2 Animal protection groups yesterday called on legislators to enact stricter regulations on animal reproduction centers, claiming that current regulations were " loose " and had failed to prevent breeders from abusing animals. Early this month in Pingtung County, a dog breeding operation was discovered in which more than 100 dogs had been left in a locked house with no food or water. Many dead dogs were also found at the premises, and were presumed to have been bitten to death by other dogs in the house. Rescue operation " People living near the reproduction center told us that many dead bodies were carried away before we got there [by the owners?]. I don't know exactly how many dogs died there, " said Ker Tzu-hsiu, a volunteer involved in helping rescue the dogs. Ker was one of the volunteers who went to the house to clean it and take canine survivors to vets after reports about the breeding operation broke on June 5. Evidence Ker showed several pictures taken at the facility. " Look at this plastic bag, " she said, pointing to one picture. " I presume that inside the bag were the dead bodies of dogs as [i could see] the nails of a dog here [through the plastic bag]. And this, this dead golden retriever's nose, mouth and the soles of its feet were all gone, " Ker said at a public hearing yesterday. The public hearing was hosted by Democratic Progressive Party legislators Tien Chiu-chin and Hsiao Bi-khim to discuss how to enact a comprehensive law and regulations to eradicate this type of abuse. President of the Taipei Pet Commerce Association Chen Ming-chih said that the Pingtung case was just a single event. " I believe that most our members would like to be governed [by new laws] if the ... [they] are reasonable, " Chen said. New rules However, representatives of animal protection groups didn't agree with Chen's interpretation. Chu Tseng-hong, president of Environment and Animal Society of Taiwan, said similar cases were discovered from time to time. " People who are found abusing animals or illegally running an animal reproduction business will be fined just NT$150,000 [uS$4,600] at most. It's actually `nothing' to them, " Chu said. http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2006/06/29/2003316261 ............... Environment & Animal Society of Taiwan EAST was established in July 1999, and its members have continued their work toward promoting harmony among people, society, environment and animals. EAST monitors and assists the enforcement of the Animal Protection Law and the Wildlife Conservation Law, raises the awareness of the public about responsible pet ownership, and promotes the welfare of farm animals and lab animals. (Chinese) http://www.east.org.tw/ ----------------------------- Throw a dog a bone Not so long ago they appeared on restaurant menus, but now they're being pampered at pet hotels; a dog's lot has certainly improved By Ron Brownlow STAFF REPORTER Taipei Times Jul 13, 2006,Page 13 Wu Hui-min couldn't stand the thought of leaving her Yorkshire terrier caged up in a kennel when she went on vacation to Japan. " You have no way of knowing what goes on once you leave, " said Wu, who had seen how unhappy a stint at the kennel made her old dog. So Wu sent Hadi on a vacation of his own: a five-day retreat in Xindian. Wu's search for a humane boarding facility led her to Lai Mei-yan who runs a pet hotel and doggie kindergarten with business partner Yao Ben-jun. Now, Wu often leaves Hadi at Dog Baby during the day, where he plays on a plastic slide, listens to Yao read children's stories and has his progress noted in a daily report. " When I say let's go to Dog Baby, Hadi's ears perk up. He really likes it there, " Wu said. The service, which costs NT$350 per night for boarding or NT$100 per day for kindergarten classes, is more expensive than boarding the puppy in a kennel. But Wu said it's worth it. " After four classes he was housebroken and would sit when told to. Now, he doesn't bark as much and he waits for permission before eating. " Dog Baby (www.dogbaby.com.tw), located a 10-minute walk from the Xiaobitan MRT station, is one of half a dozen pet hotels that have opened in the Taipei area in the last three years. In addition to doggie kindergartens, several offer extra perks like swimming pools and shuttle services. It's an idea that might not have worked 10 years ago, but the business is now finding plenty of customers among childless couples and singles who pamper their pets like humans. " When we first started people didn't understand what we were doing. But now business is booming, " Yao said. Dog Baby will move into a much larger facility near its current location later this month. Most of the larger pet hotels are located in Xindian or Yangminshan, where space is cheaper. But Pets Dream Park, which charges NT$420 a night for small dogs, has been doing a brisk business since it opened on Bade Road Section 4 near City Hall two years ago. Owner Kevin Lin and his staff take care of roughly 40 dogs each weekday, and 80 percent of rooms in their doggie hotel are booked on weekends. " I could never find a good place to leave my dogs when I went overseas, " said Lin, who received an MBA from Baruch College in New York City. " In kennels the cages are too close. The dogs catch colds and other infections, like children in preschool. " Pet's Dream Park (www.petsdreampark.com) is equipped with a ventilation system that changes the air every five minutes. Dogs sleep in spacious cubicles, each equipped with a Web cam that owners can access via the Internet by means of a password. Web cams also monitor the swimming pool, activity area and cafe. " It's worth the extra money to know that your dog is safe, " said Yang Hsiu-chuan, who owns five four-year-old golden retrievers. " Other places promise to take your dog on walks, but you have no way of knowing. I can call Kevin anytime and tell him if, for example, I see my dog eating another dog's food. " Yang was sitting in the cafe, where small and medium-sized dogs hang out during the day. Beneath her, Lin-lin, a beagle in an Elizabethan collar, tried to eat a bowl of food meant for Ringo, a beagle in a leather harness who belongs to a local rock band. The cafe serves coffee and human food as well as chicken, lamb or beef meals for dogs. " They prefer the lamb, " Lin said. The space behind the counter doubles as a lounge for older boarders, which last Wednesday included two dachshunds and a blind-and-deaf miniature schnauzer. In the back are a recreation area for larger dogs and a small swimming pool. Chu Ya-wen takes her two-year-old Labrador retriever Cindy here once every two weeks. " I let her swim for 50 minutes and she's still not tired, " Chu said as Cindy did laps and chomped at the waves. " This is the only time she doesn't listen to me. " Most of the dogs seemed comfortable in their home away from home, and none appeared overly aggressive. But Tango, a shy white Pomeranian who seemed to prefer humans to other dogs, looked lonely and stared plaintively at the door. Lin said his employees take special precautions with dogs that aren't used to being around other animals. Dog Baby has a special enclosure separated from the main activity area by a low glass wall. Dogs lacking proper socialization stay here for a few hours until they get used to the other dogs. Yao and Lai follow a similar approach when it comes to swimming lessons. " We don't just throw them into the water, " Yao said. " We wet half of their body so that they get used to the water first. " " They treat dogs like children, " said Wu, who runs a kindergarten for children. Another customer agreed: " They're very gentle, " said Ma Hui-lin. Her poodle Coco likes Dog Baby so much that she sometimes refuses to eat when home. The success of larger pet hotels has hurt business at Happy Dog, which claims to be Taipei's oldest humane boarding facility. Like Pet's Dream Park, it offers a cafe where owners can dine with their pooches. Employee Tseng Da-hua said the cafe is full on weekends, but their lodging business has suffered because they lack space for amenities like swimming pools. Fortunately, Happy Dog (happydog.idv.st) is home for a family of English sheepdogs with names like Momo and Gucci and a one-year-old St. Bernard named Money. The sheepdogs have appeared in numerous TV ads and Money has found work doing promotions for a Swiss company. " They have to earn their keep, " Tseng said. http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2006/07/13/2003318648 ............... [Photo] At an ice-cream shop for dogs in Taipei. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/gallery/2006/07/13/GA2006071300914_\ index_frames.htm?startat=1 ----------------------------- Activists urge government to neuter and release cats FURRY FRIENDS: Animal lovers used a book launch yesterday to promote the feral cat Trap-Neuter-Release or Return program for controlling stray cat populations By Jean Lin STAFF REPORTER Taipei Times Thursday, Jul 13, 2006,Page 2 Animal rights activists yesterday urged the public to adopt cats instead of buying them and called on the government to neuter feral felines, instead of capturing and killing them. Su Sheng-chieh, the site manager of Meet Pets, a Web site aimed at promoting animal adoption and other animal-rights related issues, said that the government's method of capturing stray animals had not been effective in cutting back on the number of strays. Su made the remarks at the launch of a book on cats. The Web site has recently been promoting the Feral Cats Trap-Neuter-Release or Return (TNR) program, a method used overseas to control stray cat populations. According to the program, stray cats are trapped and then neutered at veterinary clinics, Su said. The cats are then marked and released where they were found, Su said. By only capturing and destroying cats, the government is not dealing with the root cause of the problem, because cats that elude catchers continue to breed, Su added. According to figures provided at the event, more than 14,500 stray cats currently roam the streets of Taipei City. The number exceeds the estimated 14,000 stray dogs on the city's streets. Su said the site conducted TNR experiments, starting in small boroughs in the city where kittens were often found. Instead of trapping kittens, which was a tough task because they are small and hard to spot, they trapped and neutered adult cats, he said. After a while, kittens were seen less often in the area, meaning that the cats had stopped reproducing, he added. As to whether the cats that were released would cause further problems, Su said it would not be an issue. " Ecologically speaking, there's a balance in nature. If no stray cats were around then people would have more mice and cockroach problems, " Su said. " Stray cats should be allowed to exist, " he added. Su said he hoped the government would consider TNR as a policy because capturing stray cats, putting them into shelters and then euthanizing them did not address the underlying issue. He added that in big cities in Taiwan adopting cats was becoming more popular than adopting dogs, as dogs require more time and energy to train, while cats do not make as much noise and do not attack people. Internationally, however, the TNR program is still controversial. A number of wildlife and bird advocacy organizations reportedly argued that TNR allows feral cats to prey on wildlife, which may threaten endangered species. http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2006/07/13/2003318541 ............... Meet Pets (Chinese) http://www.meetpets.tw/phparticle/index.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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