FW:(Taiwan) Lawmakers decide to protect dogs

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http://www.taipeitimes.com/news/2002/06/26/story/0000141830

 

Lawmakers decide to protect dogs

 

ALL BARK?: A group of legislators want a new law that

will regulate animal shelters to ensure stray dogs are

taken care of properly and not abused

 

By Sandy Huang

STAFF REPORTER

 

In a bid to protect the nation's stray dogs from being

mistreated by animal shelters, numerous legislators

yesterday pledged to push for a draft amendment in the

next legislative session that would regulate the

management of animal shelters.

 

The legislature is on its summer recess. The next

session convenes in September.

 

" If we can't respect the life of dogs, how can we

pride ourselves as a country that respects human

rights, " said DPP Legislator Lan Mei-chin (ÂŬü¬z) at

a public hearing yesterday. " We will work to push for

this draft during the next legislative session to

ensure that these stray dogs are being well-cared for

at animal shelters. "

 

The purpose of the public hearing called by Lan, DPP

Legislator Wang Sing-nan (¤ý©¯¨k) and Independent

Legislator Eugene Jao (»¯¥Ã²M), was to give animal

protection groups' a venue to voice their concerns

about the treatment of stray dogs in animal shelters.

 

Several animal protection activists and government

officials from the Council of Agriculture's (COA)

Animal Industry Division and Bureau of Epidemic

Control and Quarantine for Animal and Agriculture were

also present.

 

According to Chi Shu-Ing (»ô²Q­^), deputy secretary of

the Life Conservationist Association, " 90 percent of

the nation's government-run animal shelters are

substandard. The overall environment of the shelters,

as well as the management and care for their stray

dogs, are dismal, some of which, indeed, are quite

terrifying and sad. "

 

Chi was referring to a case in early April where dogs

were found dying of hunger at a Hualien County

Government-run shelter.

 

" Judging from the experience of our visits to many of

the government-run animal shelters, we question how

much effort the shelters have really put in to caring

for these strays, as we found most of the dogs are

being kept in crowded conditions and some are being

starved to death, " Chi said.

 

Since then, Chi said, animal protection groups had

started a petition calling for an improvement of the

management and condition of shelters, which, has so

far been signed by 130,000 people nationwide, as well

as by dog-lovers overseas.

 

Noting that the Animal Protection Law (°Êª««OÅ@ªk)

lacks specific regulations on animal shelters, Chi

said that this has resulted in the poor quality of

care at many shelters.

 

" We hope that with a law governing animal shelter

management, it [the law] will serve as a standard for

all of the nation's public and private shelters to

follow and that it will place the stray dogs in better

care, " Chi said.

 

Chiang Yi-nan (¦¿¯q¨k), deputy chief of Bureau of

Epidemic Control and Quarantine for Animal and

Agriculture, said that the bureau had already punished

the irresponsible behavior of the staff involved in

the incident at the Hualien County shelter.

 

" The road to caring for stray dogs hasn't been smooth,

even though the Animal Protection Law has been in

effect for four years, " Chiang said.

 

" However, we are striving to do a better job and will

take [the animal protection groups'] advice into

consideration. "

 

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