The saga of "209," a stray dog that lived for nearly two years on a 30cm-wide divider between the north and southbound lanes on the Sun Yat-sen Freeway near Changhua, was brought to an end on Sunday when several volunteers from an animal welfare group took it upon themselves to mount a rescue operation and capture the dog.
It took the nine volunteers five hours of chasing the poor animal and three attempts to sedate it before they could finally remove the dog. But while the intentions of the animal welfare group were entirely honorable, their highly irresponsible modus operandi left a lot to be desired and raises a number of important issues.
First, the group failed to contact the highway authorities to ask for permission prior to attempting their daring rescue, which involved crossing the busy freeway on foot. The freeways are hazardous enough without a group of unauthorized people putting both their own lives and those of motorists at risk by running around after a stray dog. One can only imagine the traffic chaos that ensued during the rescue operation.
Thankfully the volunteers' rescue effort did not lead to any accidents. But how could nine people spend such a long time running around on a freeway without the police intervening?
These people should at least have been detained, and even though police said they would be slapped with fines of between NT$3,000 and NT$6,000, that is hardly severe enough to deter this kind of reckless behavior. They could have ended up causing the deaths of several people, including their own.
The second issue that arises is the apathy of the nation's freeway police. Having been there for nearly two years and having gained minor celebrity status in the region, the dog was known to present a serious traffic hazard. It had reportedly often brought traffic to a screeching halt when it jumped down onto the freeway.
The authorities made 52 attempts to capture the stranded dog, including the laying of baited traps. But they couldn't have been trying very hard, and this says something about even the authorities' lackadaisical attitude to an issue as important as road safety.
Third is the pitiful existence of many of the nation's stray dogs, which has long been a contentious issue. The plight of strays and the inhumane treatment they receive from authorities in the past prompted the World Society for the Protection of Animals to declare Taiwan the worst place in the world for dogs.
And although there are many kind-hearted people and organizations that go out of their way to care for an estimated 2 million strays, the fate of these animals still presents a serious problem that needs to be tackled. The government needs to take the problem far more seriously and come up with an intelligent alternative to its preferred solution of extermination.
The authorities need to work with charitable foundations and come up with innovative ways to tackle the religious and social issues responsible for the high number of strays around the nation. Only by doing this can we ensure that the tale of "209" will not be repeated.
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
The past few months have seen tremendous strides in India’s journey to develop a vibrant semiconductor and electronics ecosystem. The nation’s established prowess in information technology (IT) has earned it much-needed revenue and prestige across the globe. Now, through the convergence of engineering talent, supportive government policies, an expanding market and technologically adaptive entrepreneurship, India is striving to become part of global electronics and semiconductor supply chains. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vision of “Make in India” and “Design in India” has been the guiding force behind the government’s incentive schemes that span skilling, design, fabrication, assembly, testing and packaging, and
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s (李顯龍) decision to step down after 19 years and hand power to his deputy, Lawrence Wong (黃循財), on May 15 was expected — though, perhaps, not so soon. Most political analysts had been eyeing an end-of-year handover, to ensure more time for Wong to study and shadow the role, ahead of general elections that must be called by November next year. Wong — who is currently both deputy prime minister and minister of finance — would need a combination of fresh ideas, wisdom and experience as he writes the nation’s next chapter. The world that
As former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) wrapped up his visit to the People’s Republic of China, he received his share of attention. Certainly, the trip must be seen within the full context of Ma’s life, that is, his eight-year presidency, the Sunflower movement and his failed Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, as well as his eight years as Taipei mayor with its posturing, accusations of money laundering, and ups and downs. Through all that, basic questions stand out: “What drives Ma? What is his end game?” Having observed and commented on Ma for decades, it is all ironically reminiscent of former US president Harry