The surviving pet dogs and cats left behind by a couple who committed suicide earlier this month were snapped up when they were offered to the public for free adoption on Sunday.
The animals were trapped in their cages for up to eight days until their owners' bodies were discovered last Thursday.
Lin Kuei-mei (
"It was pandemonium," Lin said. "Those who did not get a dog got irritated at our volunteers, which was unfair."
Before pet shop owner Ding Zheng-wen (
When Lin got the package, she said she thought it was part of a fraud scheme.
"We assumed Ding had run off with investor's money," Lin said.
"It wasn't until the landlord found the bodies that we realized he really committed suicide," Lin added.
About 20 to 30 of the animals had already died by the time they were discovered in Ding's five-story property in Douliou (
The couple are believed to have killed themselves by burning charcoal. Some local media reports said that police also found sleeping pills in the apartment.
"I believe that he genuinely loved animals. He talked a lot about the terrible conditions in the pet-breeding industry," said Lin, who became acquainted with the pet store owner only a few weeks before he died.
"He was talking to me just days before he died about the possibility of working together in the future," she said.
News of the surviving purebred cats and dogs being given away drew people from as far afield as Tainan.
Among the animals are rare breeds such as Russian Blue cats.
"We were overwhelmed by the response," Lin said. "We are still inundated with calls by people inquiring about the animals."
Lin was disappointed, however, with the behavior of many of those who showed up to adopt the animals.
Some did not want to wait and simply helped themselves to the cats and dogs, resulting in up to 30 of the animals disappearing without the owners registering with the society, the animal lover said.
Many of those who did not get an animal were also upset, she said.
"Our volunteers told them we also have many dogs that are in need of a good home in our shelter," Liu said. "But there were few takers."
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