Disabled dogs to get new homes in San Francisco

With the help of an overseas adoption arrangement, more than 20 stray dogs with one type of disability or another found new homes in the US.

An rights group called on people who are heading to San Francisco to help more handicapped dogs to start their new lives in America by taking them to their new families overseas.

Initiated the Animal Rescue Team, a non-profit organization who have conducted "stray dog rescue missions" for more than 10 years, the so-called "Journey of Love" is an international adoption plan which is designed to match handicapped dogs with owners around the world. The initiative has received positive responses from animal care organizations in the US, and prompted some animal lovers to adopt handicapped dogs hailing from Taiwan.

"Most people in Taiwan take very little interest in adopting handicapped dogs, which makes those poor animals homeless all their lives," said Antony Ni (倪京台), a volunteer worker of the team. "We began to contact organizations in the US in an attempt to find those unfortunate dogs new families overseas."

Maggie Chen (陳麗雀), another volunteer with the rescue team, said that although organizations in the US are willing to accept handicapped dogs from Taiwan, the animals will need assistance from passengers on inbound flights to take them as checked-in baggage.

For more information about the plan, visit the organization's Web site at www.savedogs.org.