As such, aside from the full-time staff, all AT participants are strictly volunteers, said Peter Dearman, AT’s Webmaster, who is also an English teacher from Canada.
Another problem AT has faced is public ignorance of animals, Phillips said.
“Some people too freely dump their dogs because the puppies turned into dogs and are not cute anymore, or because their pets behave badly, or because it is not convenient for them to keep dogs anymore,” she said.
The situation is especially prevalent in pure breeds, where owners expect to have “perfect dogs, without behavioral problems even with no training,” McCormack said. “Which is just like dumping dogs out of the owners’ own stupidity and ignorance, because no dog would behave without proper training and training them is the responsibility of the owners.”
While AT volunteers all agree that Taiwan has come a long way in the past decade, they also say that a lot remains to be done.
“You don’t see caged animals as much. Some people are changing their way of interacting with their pets and are beginning to treat them like family. If anything, some people are starting to baby their dogs, which may not necessarily be a good thing if it is too extreme,” McCormack said.
However, “there is always going to be stray or mistreated dogs,” Phillips said.
To combat the problem, education is key, she said.
“One of future key focuses of AT [will be] to run an educational program that teaches the public compassion for animals, as well as how to care for and train them,” she said, adding that the program — which she heads — will be launched sometime this month.
On the Internet, AT is also compiling its own “Wikipedia” on dog-care and training, Dearman said, adding that anyone can edit or add to it. Another vital part of the education program is a neutering campaign, where AT aims to promote the importance of neutering pets as well as strays so that the stray problem can be mitigated, Milne said.
With AT gaining NGO status, the volunteers are expecting bigger funding and greater involvement for the organization.
“As an NGO, we can now apply for governmental funding, receive money from international charities, as well as get corporate sponsorship,” McCormack said.
From 15 dogs crammed in a small apartment to a certified NGO with a full-size shelter, McCormack has come a long way in his work with animals in Taiwan. Asked why he stuck to the cause, McCormack said: “I have always liked and felt dedicated to animals and I want to see a change in Taiwan.”
“Whenever you feel like quitting, it is a test of whether you are going to succeed [in your pursuit] or not, those that give up do not succeed,” he said.
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