A festival in New Taipei City’s Banciao District (板橋) yesterday saw hundreds of pets and pet owners gather to celebrate World Animal Day, while the city government pledged a zero euthanasia policy at an adoption fair in Yonghe District (永和).
Holding placards and shouting slogans during the festival at the 435 Art Zone in Banciao, animal rights activists encouraged the adoption of stray animals and called for an end to animal trading and pet abandonment, while animal lovers gathered to enjoy live music and performances.
Part of the revenue from a market set up by animal rights groups and private businesses would be donated to animal welfare, the event organizers said.
Photo: Lai Hsiao-tung, Taipei Times
The organizers said an exhibition showcasing works by three animal artists would run until Oct. 18 to promote animal rights awareness.
Photographer Tou Yun-fei’s (杜韻飛) pictures show various dogs, moments before they were euthanized by government shelters.
Death row dogs were pictured in classic portrait format to make people look at the animals as emotional and dignified beings, the organizers said, adding that they hoped the pictures would help the public to reconsider euthanasia as a way to solve the problem of stray animals.
Photographer Ray Chin’s (金磊) pictures show marine mammals such as dolphins and humpback whales giving birth to and nurturing baby whales.
The organizers said they hoped Chin’s display can encourage people to pay more attention to the conservation of marine mammals.
Artist and animal rights activist Wang Chin-ching’s (王勤靜) sketches capturing shelter dogs up for adoption are exhibited along with the animal’s life stories to boost their chance of adoption, the organizers said.
Separately, the Yonghe adoption fair saw city officials and animal rights groups sign a pledge for a zero euthanasia policy that the city announced in March, while the city government said that its ultimate goal is to have zero pet abandonment.
The fair also offered free vaccination and chip implantats for cats and dogs, as well as education programs to promote trap-neuter-vaccinate-return as an effective animal control measure and instruct the public on how to interact with animals in a safe and friendly way.
The city government said it has established 27 adoption stations with private pet businesses and transferred more than 200 cats and dogs to adoptive families since March.
Meanwhile, 80 Maltese were available for adoptions at the office of Taiwan Life Caring and Animal Rescue Organization in the city’s Shulin District (樹林).
They were among the 180 Maltese that were given up by a puppy mill in Yunlin County and transferred to the organization last month, and the 80 dogs were neutered before adoption to prevent pet breeders from taking over the animals, the organization said, adding that the remaining dogs would be up for adoption later when they are healthier.
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