Hualien City Police Chief Kuo Chung-tsun has thought up a new trick to strengthen burglary prevention — giving city residents a dog to care for. The dog will then be taken to the police station at irregular intervals for further training. Hualien police recently gave away their first six dogs, pure bred Formosan mountain dogs.
Kuo said that despite increased police efforts, burglaries are a constant in their jurisdiction. It is difficult to gather evidence and few cases are cleared up, and that was why he came up with the idea of giving away dogs to prevent burglaries.
Teng Chin-tsai, a patrol team member who lives in the Kuofu neighborhood, has a Formosan mountain dog that had a litter of several puppies a while back. When he heard of the new plan, he instantly agreed to let the police buy his puppies — with a market value of NT$20,000 each — for half price, and that got the initiative rolling.
These six black two-month old pups are “clever dogs” that the police picked for their looks, reactions and health. They are of pure breed and display the loyalty and alertness that is special to Formosan mountain dogs, and are very well suited to maintaining the security of a property.
Police officers gave all the male pups the name Eagle in the hope that they would all move as fast and nimbly as an eagle. The female pups were all called Mary, a transliteration of “meili,” the Chinese word for charm or charisma.
Kuo said that thanks to the sponsorship of civil defense team leader Chang Yan-ching, the dogs had their vaccinations and their chips inserted. He said the dogs will now have to be brought back to the police station for training by appointed trainers and to follow police officers on their patrols to raise their alertness toward anything suspicious. Kuo said he believed these dogs would be great in helping police maintain social order.
Police say that those applying for a “clever dog” must have a front and back yard, the financial resources to care for the dog, and time to spend with the dog. Only after approval by the police will they be allowed to take the dog home. Anyone interested can register with the Hualien City Police.
Because the police may not have the financial resources to buy dogs, they will in future look for suitable watchdogs in rescue centers for stray dogs. That way they can kill two birds with one stone by both tending to social order and helping diminish the stray dog problem.
(LIBERTY TIMES, TRANSLATED BY PERRY SVENSSON)
花蓮警分局為加強防竊，分局長郭中村想出新招，由警局送小狗給市民飼養，狗兒不定時回警局「上課」訓練看家本領，日前花蓮警分局舉行贈狗儀式，首波送出六隻純種台灣小土狗。
郭中村說，有鑑於轄區內竊案不斷，警方即使已經加強巡邏、防治，破案率仍低，且採證不易，因此有了「飼犬防竊」的構想。
日前，轄區內國福里巡守隊員鄧錦財家中養的台灣土狗剛好產下多隻小狗，他知道這個計畫後，馬上同意把每隻市價約兩萬元的小狗，以半買半送的價格提供警方，促成這項贈狗行動。
這六隻兩個月大的黑色小土狗，都是警員視狗狗的長相、反應、健康狀況等挑選出來的「聰明狗」，品種純正，有台灣土狗忠誠、警覺性高的特性，非常適合防衛居家安全。
警員將公的小狗一律叫Eagle，是希望牠們動作像鷹一樣敏捷，母的則叫做Mary，意為「魅力」十足。
郭中村說，在民防中隊隊長張炎清的贊助下，小狗已植入晶片、注射疫苗，今後須定期回警局由專人上課訓練，還要跟警員出門巡邏，提高對可疑事物的警戒心，相信未來將是警方維護治安的好幫手。
警方提醒，申請領養「聰明狗」的飼主，必須家中有前庭後院、經濟能力能負擔養狗、有時間陪伴狗狗等條件，警方審核後才能把小狗帶回家，有意願者可赴花蓮警分局登記。
因買狗經費恐不足，警方今後將到流浪動物之家等單位，尋找適合看家的狗狗，提供市民認養．如此可以一舉兩得，即既對治安有所助益，也能協助解決流浪狗問題。
（自由時報記者蔡百靈）
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