“Exotic” pets, including goats, ducks and turtles, are available for adoption, the Pingtung County Animal Shelter has said, encouraging members of the public not to abandon animals or keep animals illegally.
The shelter has recently taken in several non-canine and non-feline animals, including goats, ducks, mixed-breed domestic rabbits, snapping turtles and others.
After a public notice period for owners to claim an animal expires, it becomes available for adoption in stages, the shelter said on Monday.
Photo: Lo Hsin-cheng, Taipei Times
The county’s Department of Agriculture, which oversees the shelter, has urged the public not to abandon animals, which harms animal welfare and the ecological environment.
In addition to housing common domestic pets such as cats and dogs, the animal shelter’s Wildlife Rescue Center also cares for a wide variety of wild animals and farm animals, it said.
“A raccoon was discovered in September last year by a member of the public on Section 3 of Jiouru Road in the county’s Jiouru Township (九如),” the department said.
“After being taken in by the shelter, the raccoon prompted more than 10 inquiries before it was ultimately adopted by a zoo in Yilan County,” it said.
In one case, a snapping turtle found in a drainage ditch last month was first sent to National Pingtung University of Science and Technology before being transferred to the animal shelter, while in another case a black goat was discovered by a 66-year-old county resident surnamed Yang (楊) on Zhongshan Road in Jiadong Township (佳冬), it said.
“The goat is gentle and friendly, and followed its rescuer, who was riding a motorcycle, all the way to the Shiguang Police Station, where officers promptly notified the Agriculture Department’s Animal Protection Division,” it said.
Separately, a duck was found on the southbound side of the New Chaozhou Bridge, while a domestic rabbit was picked up on a river embankment in Sinyuan Township (新園).
After being taken in by the center, animals undergo health checks and are cared for by staff, the department said.
“In August last year, a striped-neck turtle injured in a traffic accident was rescued after its shell was cracked when it was run over by a vehicle,” it said. “Caretakers carefully secured the shell, and the turtle has since made a good recovery.”
A duck found last month was suspected to have developed bumblefoot, causing thickening and abrasion on the soles of its feet, it said, adding that caretakers fitted the duck with specially made shoes to prevent the condition from worsening, and replaced them regularly.
Animal Protection Division Director Li Chi-ya (李繼雅) said that once livestock or exotic pets are admitted to the shelter, their details are posted on the national animal shelter Web site system and shared through the department’s animal protection Facebook page.
A 14-day public notice period is observed for owners to reclaim the animals, after which they are available for adoption by the public.
If suitable adopters are found, the animals can begin a second life in a new home, she said.
Li urged members of the public to carefully assess their ability to care for animals before deciding to adopt.
Priority is given to Pingtung County residents, and follow-up checks are conducted for six months after adoption, she said.
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