Our proposition:
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To sign up, please visit following link:
http://campaign.tw-npo.org/sign.php?id=2010072923272700
99.07.30
Is Taoyuan County a place that condones the indiscriminate capturing and killing of companion animals?
We hereby requesting County Magistrate Wu Chi-Yang to stop the abuse of capturing stray animals and surrender the work of animal control to animal protection agencies in order to enhance animal welfare in shelters.
According to survey conducted in 2007 by the Taiwan’s Council of Agriculture, more than 100,000 households in Taoyuan County own a pet. At the same time, Taoyuan County has the third-highest in number of impound animals, ironically, also has the highest figure in breeding and selling of pets. Therefore, animal policies of Taoyuan County greatly impact the everyday life of its residents and reflect the County’s civilize value.
Indiscriminate capturing of friendly animals and incapable of handling the disturbing dogs
Between 2004 and 2009, the number of dogs and cats captured in Taoyuan County jumped from 1,771 to 9,430, which is a 5.3 times increase. Despite the increasing number of captures, the abandoned rate in pets did not decrease. Most of the dogs captured by the County’s cleaning unit were TNR animals or stray pets with collar, but no implant chip to identify the owner. Untamed or disturbing animals that contribute to public problems, on the other hand, were seldom captured due to their lack of friendliness with human contact. In addition to the indiscretion in identifying disturbing animal, the capturing process itself is also crude. Inhumane acts such as poisoning and hanging dogs, as well as forcibly entry of private residence to capture dogs does not resolve civilian’s concern but add to people’s complaints.
As a result, many family pets cannot go home and Taoyuan County animal shelter remains full everyday. Overcrowding in the shelter means that many dogs would become ill from biting injuries, lack of food and water, and cross-contamination from other dogs.
A cage in the Taoyuan County shelter is less than 1.8㎡, but it has to accommodate 9 dogs. Over-populating by indiscriminate capture means massive biting due to hunger, pressure and lack of water. Injuries and illness were the by-products of cross contamination; seldom animals survive, but suffered and died before the 12 days detention due. The ones that survived the period and lucky enough to be adopted, two-thirds die afterwards from diseases (lethal diseases such as Canine distemper or corona virus) contacted in the crowded shelter and these consequences often deterred many dog lovers from adopting from animal shelter. The combination of large capture volume, poor animal health, low adoption rate, and limited sheltering space means that more than 80% of the animals in the shelter will be put to sleep. Furthermore, because of insufficient budget and shortage of personnel, each shelter worker is responsible for nearly one hundred dogs and cats. The lack of manpower in maintaining the shelter will ultimately led to a recurrence of the cannibalism among the dogs.
We do not need more sheltering space, nor increase the number of euthanasia
February 1st of this year, the Executive Branch invited each City Mayor and County Magistrate to attend a discussion in improving the capturing and sheltering of stray dogs and cats. However, Taoyuan County Magistrate, Wu, was absent and instead sent his Chief secretary Hsu Yu-Ning. On February 23rd, a call was placed to the County government regarding this matter; the secretary office expressed no knowledge of this event. In regards to the predicament of animals in the shelters, the only response was to increase shelter space and personnel for euthanasia. Has Taoyuan County animal shelter become concentration camp for animals? Every year, the cleaning unit captures nearly 9,000 and kills more than 8000 dogs and cats. Does this kind of animal slaughter increase the quality of living for the people or simply fostering social violence? Is Taoyuan County a place that condones the reckless captures and butchering of humans’ companion animals? Do Taoyuan people support such policy?
Abolish the right of animal capturing from the County’s cleaning unit; Animal control task should return to Animal protection agencies and improve the quality in animal shelters.
We ask the people of Taoyuan County and all those who care about animal legislations and policies of Taoyuan Country to sign the petition. The Taoyuan Animal Protection Association will soon hold a demonstration for the vast number of innocent and mistreated lives.
Our demands:
1. Abolish dog capturing by the cleaning unit, raise the threshold of dogs to be captured, reduce the quota of dog capturing. Establish professionally trained, county-wide disturbing dog reporting system to educate the people and eliminate indiscriminate capturing.
2. Within one month, hold public hearing regarding the return in responsibility of catching stray dogs to animal protection agencies; propose procedures for shifting of responsibility and draft the Taoyuan County Canine Control Autonomous Ordinance.
3. Increase funding, personnel, and material support for animal protection. Strengthen government oversight of breeders and pet owners to reduce number of abandoned pets, which will in turn reduce work burden and improve conditions in animal shelters.
4. To plan and establish the department for animal protection as soon as possible, with the task of promoting animal welfare
Caution: Following video contains disturbing material, please view at your own discretion.
http://www.youtube.com/user/olga4679#p/a/u/0/h0_GV_AL22M
Related links:
http://www.tyacad.org/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=18166
Petition and Media contact:
Taoyuan Aanimal Protection Association(TAPA)
Deng Chiao-Ling(鄧巧玲) :886-935-451-348