A ban on euthanizing stray animals is to be implemented on Feb.4 which would see abandoned pets or animals born as strays no longer being put to death if they are not adopted from government-run shelters.
Last year, about 70,000 animals ended up at the shelters and each year about 10,000 are put down when they are not adopted, while several thousand more die from other causes, such as injuries and illnesses.
The ban comes after the government has long been criticized for not doing enough to deal with the nation’s pet abandonment problem, but over the years, many unsung heroes have been quietly giving their time and energy to helping stray animals.
One of them, Briton Liza Milne, 42, has lived in Taiwan since she was 20. She works as an English teacher, but spends her spare time as an animal rescuer and volunteer at shelters run by non-governmental organizations that save and care for stray animals.
For about 11 years she has volunteered as chairperson, events and sponsorship coordinator and a rescuer at Animals Taiwan — a non-governmental organization that has saved hundreds of sick or injured stray dogs and cats — by finding them homes.
It also cares for up to 70 of them awaiting adoption at its shelter.
Last year, Milne also became a full-time volunteer for Mary’s Doggies, a shelter that rescues strays and finds homes for them in the US or Canada.
Council of Agriculture officials said they are increasing the budget for animal control workers to spay and neuter strays, as well as enforcing microchip rules.
All government-run shelters would require anyone who wants to abandon their pet to pay a fee, although the fee is relatively small in many cases, the council said.
Advocates say much more needs to be done to encourage pet owners to spay or neuter their animals and to fine them if they do not.
Alain Robert, known as the "French Spider-Man," praised Alex Honnold as exceptionally well-prepared after the US climber completed a free solo ascent of Taipei 101 yesterday. Robert said Honnold's ascent of the 508m-tall skyscraper in just more than one-and-a-half hours without using safety ropes or equipment was a remarkable achievement. "This is my life," he said in an interview conducted in French, adding that he liked the feeling of being "on the edge of danger." The 63-year-old Frenchman climbed Taipei 101 using ropes in December 2004, taking about four hours to reach the top. On a one-to-10 scale of difficulty, Robert said Taipei 101
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
Two Taiwanese prosecutors were questioned by Chinese security personnel at their hotel during a trip to China’s Henan Province this month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. The officers had personal information on the prosecutors, including “when they were assigned to their posts, their work locations and job titles,” MAC Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said. On top of asking about their agencies and positions, the officers also questioned the prosecutors about the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement, a pact that serves as the framework for Taiwan-China cooperation on combating crime and providing judicial assistance, Liang
US climber Alex Honnold left Taiwan this morning a day after completing a free-solo ascent of Taipei 101, a feat that drew cheers from onlookers and gained widespread international attention. Honnold yesterday scaled the 101-story skyscraper without a rope or safety harness. The climb — the highest urban free-solo ascent ever attempted — took just more than 90 minutes and was streamed live on Netflix. It was covered by major international news outlets including CNN, the New York Times, the Guardian and the Wall Street Journal. As Honnold prepared to leave Taiwan today, he attracted a crowd when he and his wife, Sanni,
RSS