On July 17 the New Taipei City Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office, acting in conjunction with animal protection police, seized 27 dogs in a 20 ping (66 m2) attic in New Taipei City’s Lujhou District. The dogs’ vocal cords had been cut so that they could not bark loudly, and they were all shut in cages in a sultry room that reeked of a foul odor.
The animal protection office had received reports from members of the public about an illegal building on Alley 22 of Guanghua Road in Lujhou District holding a large number of dogs and emitting a bad smell. Investigations revealed that it was an illegal breeding facility run by a nearby pet store. On the afternoon of July 17, in conjunction with animal protection police from the Lujhou District Precinct, the animal protection office inspected the pet store and its illegal breeding facility and seized eight male and 19 female dogs, including one pregnant bitch, along with other evidence of breeding. After the inspectors showed the apartment property records to the pet store owner, whose surname is Chen, he admitted that he was the owner of the dogs. The animal protection office then issued an on-the-spot ticket imposing a fine of NT$50,000 for violations of Article 25.1 and Article 5 of the Animal Protection Act. The 27 dogs were confiscated and taken back to the animal protection office for rehoming, thus putting an end to this illegal breeding business.
When animal protection officers took the dogs back to their office, the dogs started lapping water thirstily as soon as they saw it. Under examination, the dogs’ fur was found to be knotted, and some dogs’ fur had almost entirely fallen out because of skin disease. Their overall health condition was very poor. Chen Yuan-chuan, director of the Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office, said that the dogs would first be placed in the municipal animal shelter in Banciao District. Once their health condition was determined, they would be neutered by a veterinarian and put up for adoption by members of the public, he said.
Photo courtesy of the New Taipei City Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office
照片由新北市政府動物保護防疫處提供
(Liberty Times, translated by Zane Kheir)
新北市政府動物保護防疫處七月十七日會同動保警察在蘆洲區一處二十坪的頂樓加蓋查獲二十七隻被割除聲帶無法大聲吠叫的狗關在鐵籠內，現場悶熱飄散惡臭。
Photo courtesy of the New Taipei City Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office
照片由新北市政府動物保護防疫處提供
動保處接獲民眾通報，蘆洲區光華路二十二巷內有一處違章建築，因飼養大量狗造成環境惡臭，調查後發現是附近寵物店經營的非法繁殖場。七月十七日下午，動保處會同蘆洲分局動保警察稽查該家寵物店及違法繁殖場，當場查獲八隻公狗及十九隻母狗，包含一隻懷孕母狗等繁殖事證。陳姓業者在稽查人員出示公寓產權資料後，坦承狗是他所飼養，動保處人員當場依違反動保法第二十五之一條及第五條開罰五萬元並沒入二十七隻狗帶回動保處安置，斷絕非法繁殖販賣。
動保處人員將狗帶回，狗兒一看到水拚命喝，檢查時發現狗毛打結，有些甚至因皮膚病快掉光，健康狀況十分不佳。動保處處長陳淵泉表示，狗兒先安置在板橋區動物之家，確定健康狀況後，由獸醫師進行絕育手術，再開放民眾認養。
(自由時報記者何玉華)
A: Singer Jay Chou is staging four shows at the Taipei Dome starting today. B: And he’s the first singer to ever hold concerts at the venue. A: I’m curious, how big is this “big egg” exactly? B: It can accommodate nearly 40,000 people and bring various kinds of business opportunities. A: This is the new “concert economy” trend. A: 歌王周杰倫從今天起，將一連4天在大巨蛋開唱。 B: 哇，周董可是首位在大巨蛋舉辦演唱會的歌手耶！ A: 大巨蛋到底有多大啊？真好奇。 B: 每場可容納近4萬人，還能帶來各種商機呢。 A: 嗯，這就是現在最夯的「演唱會經濟」。 （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
Have you ever wanted to go camping but were put off by the thought of setting up a tent, sleeping on hard ground and dealing with a lack of basic amenities? If so, glamping might be the perfect solution for you. Glamping, combining the words “glamorous” and “camping,” takes the outdoor experience to a whole new level. It offers the chance to enjoy nature while still having access to comfortable accommodation and modern conveniences. Instead of pitching a tent, you’ll stay in spacious, luxurious tents that are fully furnished and equipped with real beds, electricity and even en-suite facilities.
A: I’ve been a fan of singer Jay Chou for 24 years, since his debut in 2000. B: But this time, his Taipei Dome concerts have shed light on the issue of ticket scalping. A: Isn’t the law stricter after being amended last year? B: Yeah, ticket scalping is illegal, even if you only raise the price by NT$1 when reselling. A: Why aren’t scalpers afraid of getting caught? Maybe a real-name ticketing system would be better. A: 自從周杰倫2000年出道以來，我都已經追星24年了。 B: 不過這次大巨蛋開唱，他卻引爆黃牛票問題。 A: 去年修法後，法規不是變得比較嚴格？ B: 是啊，就算加價1元轉賣也算違法！ A: 黃牛們怎麼都抓不怕？或許票券「實名制」會更有用。 （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
When a large group of people struggles to reach a consensus, voting is often used to help make a decision. Surprisingly, humans are not the only animals that exhibit this type of democratic tendency. Several different species of animals demonstrate similar voting behavior. One of the most notable examples of animals engaging in this activity involves African buffalo. Ecologist Herbert Prins first observed herds of African buffalo performing voting behavior in the 1990s. Groups of African buffalo would pause under the intense midday sun and rest until dusk. Prins noticed that some buffalo would periodically stand up and gaze
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