(Taiwan) Invest in animal welfare

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http://www.chinapost.com.tw/editorial/taiwan%20issues/2008/10/02/176978/Invest-i\

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Invest in animal welfare

 

The China Post news staff

Thursday, October 2, 2008 9:25 am

 

Last week the Central News Agency reported that Taiwan’s only 24-hour animal

rescue service will cease operation as of today. The cause is a lack of

government funding and a fall-off in donations by private citizens. The

Taipei-based Life Caring and Animal Rescue Organization (LCO) has been around

for four years and in that time has saved 6,000 cats and dogs. Puppies and

kittens aren’t the only benefactors. LCO has also rescued an eagle, an

anteater and a Formosan Sanbar Deer. With a “no kill†philosophy, LCO is

currently caring for close to 400 animals.

 

The group’s CEO, Tiger Tung, says LCO applied to the Council of Agriculture

for subsidies this summer, but was rejected. Tung claims Taiwan needs to

reevaluate funding for animal groups. According to Tung, Hong Kong’s Society

for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) receives some funding from the

Hong Kong authorities and has a staff of more than 100. The Hong Kong SPCA also

gets funding from the local horseracing industry and a charity foundation.

 

As has been noted by many, Taiwan needs to step up the game with regard to its

animal welfare. The budget for keeping an organization such as LCO in business

for a month is less than one million NT dollars. We can afford to invest in

making Taiwan an animal-friendly nation.