Animal rights advocates took parakeets with them for a meeting at the legislature in Taipei yesterday, as they handed awards to lawmakers who are friendly to their cause.
The animal rights advocates were led by National University of Tainan professor of management Wu Chung-hsien (吳宗憲), who said they had brought seven parakeets to show that it is not just cats and dogs, but also many birds that are kept as pets in Taiwan, all needing protection from abuse.
The awards were given to seven lawmakers who “supported our cause by initiating amendments for enhanced measures under the Animal Protection Act (動物保護法),” Wu said.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
Coalition members handed the lawmakers certificates, and placed a parakeet on their shoulders to represent the binding friendship between humans and birds.
Those awarded were Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃), Kao Chia-yu (高嘉瑜), Huang Kuo-shu (黃國書) and Chuang Jui-hsiung (莊瑞雄); Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators Lin Yi-hua (林奕華) and Hung Mong-kai (洪孟楷); and Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Ann Kao (高虹安).
Each parakeet has its own harrowing story after being saved from abuse and ill treatment, Taiwan Bird Rescue Association secretary-general Wu Chun-yi (吳峮毅) said.
Wu spoke about the history of one parakeet called “Gam-ma” (柑罵).
“After being born at a bird breeding farm, she got put together with several large parakeets, and she suffered many injuries on her head, beak and other parts of her body due to pecking. Her keepers did not help, did not treat her nor tend to the injuries,” Wu said.
“When Gam-ma’s head was covered in blood, the bird farm keepers threw her into a trash can, intending for her to die. Fortunately, a concerned person saw her and contacted us to rescue her, so her life was saved,” she said.
Wu said that parakeets can live up to 30 years of age, but they live a terrible life at breeding farms. When they mature at age two, they are forced to mate and produce eggs until they are 20 years of age.
She urged central and local governments to enforce the law with more checks and inspections, and to investigate tip-offs, as there are illegal breeding farms nationwide that are torturing and abusing animals, including birds, cats and dogs.
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