`209' adapting to off-road lifestyle

Wang Chun-ching, director of the Kaohsiung Concern Stray Animal Association, holds ``209,'' the female dog her group rescued after it had lived along the Sun Yat-sen Freeway for almost two years, in this photo taken on Feb. 5. PHOTO: LIN YA-LI, TAIPEI TIMES

For three days, the nation's eyes were riveted on an unremarkable black street dog. As the TV cameras looked on, the dog nimbly evaded capture while traffic whizzed by her at more than 100kph.

The dog, dubbed Er-ling-jiu, or "209," because of the kilometer marker she lived near, is said to have lived on the freeway divider on a stretch of the Sun Yat-sen Freeway near Changhua for around two years, when the cable network TVBS made her household news. She quickly became the most famous stray in the country as other media followed suit.

However, 209's existence was no secret to the highway department and local commuters. According to TVBS, the freeway bureau had received more than 50 calls about the dog, although the wily canine managed to evade numerous attempts at capture, including baited cages, chases along the shoulder of the road, and bizarrely, an attempt to lure 209 with a bitch in heat

But 209's life on the road finally ended when the Kaohsiung Concern Stray Animal Association (KCSAA) formed a team of volunteer dog catchers, who after an exhausting six-hour test of wills, brought her down with an anesthetic blow dart.

"When I heard about 209's story, I knew we had to help her," said Wang Chun-ching (王春經), the director of KCSAA. "It was no life for a dog, and she was a constant danger to herself and others."

According to Wang, the team thought long and hard before putting the plan into action, including a decision not to inform the highway bureau of their intentions.

"We knew that the rescue would take a long time," Wang said. "We decided to act alone."

Although 209 was safely nabbed, Chen Han-yang (陳漢陽) of the Changhwa Animal Disease Control Center could not condone the risk taken by the group.

Chen had only became aware of 209's plight shortly before the media storm broke and had been attempting to capture her with baited cages, to no avail.

"We considered blow darts too, but decided that it would be too risky to dart an animal on a highway," Chen said. "Blow darts can take minutes to work. In that time the startled animal could have run onto the highway and caused an accident."

"We took that into account," Wang said.

"We knew that 209 was a very clever dog who could never be caught with baited traps. She had lived on the highway for so long, she was too smart to run into traffic," she said.

Nevertheless, KCSAA's rescue effort could cost the group a fine of between NT$3,000 to NT$6,000.

"We're okay with that. We know we broke the rules," Wang said. "There was no other way."

Wang is scheduled to meet with freeway bureau officials today to discuss the issue.

"Yes, it was against the rules, but they did it out of love for the dog," Chen said. "Maybe that will be taken into consideration."

According to Wang, 209 is very healthy, although skittish around people, other dogs -- and traffic. Now the group has to find a home for her.

"We've had more than 100 calls from people asking to adopt 209. We've even had five or six who claimed to be 209's former owners," Wang said. "You really have to wonder about those people's motives. Do they really want to help her, or do they just want a celebrity dog?"

Wang said she will keep 209 for another month to give the her more time to adjust to a non-freeway life while a new home is chosen for the now famous canine.

But it is not just 209 who needs a new home.

"Our association has more than 300 strays in our shelters," Wang said. "They are equally deserving of good homes."