IMPORTANT:PLEASE READ:Repeat posting:Wuchiu allegations!

[Guest guest]

For some of you, this is a repeat posting. I am sorry but it is necessary,

because so much time has passed since the original was circulated. To those of

you who are reading this post for the first time, I feel you should know what

has been said about the alert " Sample letter:Taiwan military routinely abuses

dogs for entertainment, " since I posted it to your group and asked you to send

letters.

 

The purpose of my re-circulating this post, is to make sure that everyone is

familiar with the contents of this email before you all read my reply to the

allegations. I do not want the authors of the email below to claim that I have

waited this long to reply, so everyone would forget the contents of the original

post! I decided to post this email separate from my reply, because it was too

lengthy to include.

 

I am the one who authored and circulated the alert that ITD and Elly Maynard are

referring to in the post below and I feel that it is necessary to set this issue

straight!

My reply will follow shortly.

 

Thank you for your time and patience.

Rita

========================================

 

- ITD

Undisclosed-Recipient:;

Tuesday, October 28, 2003 5:10 PM

Wuchiu allegations

 

 

 

 

We are passing this release to the ITD mailing list at the request of our

colleagues at Sirius GAO.

 

Our best wishes to you all.

 

ITD

 

 

New Zealand Registered Charity No. 84-439-711

 

http://sirius.2kat.net

 

Dear Friends

 

A report has been circulated around the internet recently alleging abuse of dogs

on the Republic of China's military island of Wuchiu. After investigating this

issue we feel it is important that all animal defenders should be aware of our

findings.

 

Please note that the Republic of China (or Taiwan) should not be confused with

mainland China, the " People's Republic " .

 

Wuchiu (or Wu-Chiou) is in fact not one island but two, Hsiaochiu and Tachiu

(the larger and more populated). The total land area of these islands is

1.2sq.km, less than 0.5 sq.mile or 300 acres. The population consists of a ROC

military garrison of 400 personnel with 46 guard dogs and around 10 local

families.

 

According to the email being circulated, the allegations of abuse of stray dogs

reportedly first appeared on 29/07/03 in " Taipei News " , although this article

seems to have mysteriously disappeared. In response to the allegations the

Republic of China (Taiwan) Council of Agriculture inspected Wuchiu on 6/08/03

and found no evidence to support such claims. No evidence has yet been produced

by those making the claims.

 

It is also claimed that the allegations were verified by the Humane Society

International. This is untrue. Both HSI and WSPA worked extensively with the ROC

in the formulation of that country's five year old Animal Protection Law and

neither organisation has suggested that these allegations have any basis in

fact.

 

From our conversations with representatives of the ROC Govt, we believe them to

be firmly committed to the enforcement of their Animal Protection Law. In this

respect they are a model for many other countries of the region. Politically the

ROC has many enemies who would like to see its APL fail, since this Law brings

it closer in line with most western nations. We have no interest in politics,

but suspect that these allegations could be politically motivated.

 

The report by the ROC Council of Agriculture is at the base of this email.

 

Our sincere thanks to all of you for caring.

 

Elly Maynard

Chairperson

Sirius Global Animal Organisation

 

 

 

 

Report by:

 

 

 

The officials of ROC Council of Agriculture on Wu-Chiou 6 August, 2003

 

 

 

background

 

Wu-Chiou is a small island close to mainland China, with a total land area of

1.2 sq km. The only access to Wu-Chiou is by navy vessel, which is available

every 10 days from the Port of Taichung and only stays at Wu-Chiou for about 2

hours each time.

 

 

 

Wu-Chiou island is mainly occupied by the military. There are also

approximately 10 families (30 residents) living in Wu-Chiu. The Taiwanese

government operates the Wu-Chiou Rural Township Office there with about 5 staff.

 

 

 

At the moment there are about 400 soldiers posted in Wu-Chiu with 46 guard dogs.

Those guard dogs belong to the army, and are registered and maintained according

to the “Guidelines to maintain the guard dogs in the Wu-Chiou defense base of

the Marine Corps”.

 

 

Treatment of dogs

While we were in the army base, we could see that all the guard dogs have their

own proper cages. They looked very clean and friendly and seem very close to

the soldiers.

 

 

 

The army officers denied that there has been any cruelty to the dogs.

 

 

 

The magistrate of Wu-Chiou Township and other representatives also confirmed

that they haven’t seen any cruel behaviour from the soldiers towards the dogs

for years. Some residents even expressed the desire to jointly sign a document

to prove the innocence of the soldiers should the investigation drag on any

further.

 

 

 

When we were on the ship, we asked some soldiers about how the dogs have been

maintained in Wu-Chiou. The soldiers told us that generally those guard dogs

were very well looked after by the soldiers and they had never heard or seen

anyone abusing the dogs. Some soldiers even asked to take the dogs with them

when they retired from the army and left the island.

 

 

 

 

Recommendations

We, the representative from the Council of Agriculture, also held a meeting with

the army officers and the representative from the Kinmen Animanl and Plant

Health Inspection and Quarantine Office. We’ve agreed the following actions:

 

1. The navy will ask the Kinmen Animal and Plant Health Inspection and

Quarantine Office to plant microchips in the guard dogs and register the dogs as

pets.

 

2. When the care-taker of the dogs retires from the army and leaves the

island, the changeover should be recorded on the file.

 

3. Desex the dogs except those for breeding purpose.

 

4. The army will continue to educate the soldiers about how to treat the

animals properly. The soldiers will be given the promotional material on the

Animal Protection Law and Animal Rights.

 

 

Note

 

There are around 10-15 wild dogs on the island at the moment. Those dogs stay

in the caves during the daytime and come out only after sunset. It’s hard to

catch them because there are a lot of land mines on the island and it’s

dangerous for the soldiers to try to catch the dogs.

 

 

 

We’ll ask the Kinmen Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine Office to

supply the cage with bait to help the county officers to catch the wild dogs.

To prevent further misunderstanding, the army will not catch those wild dogs.

However, the army will assist if there is a written request from the county

officers or the Council of Agriculture.

 

 

If not through another list, you will have received this email because you

either have helped with a campaign or requested to receive these emails in the

past. We have no wish to send " spam " , so if you do not want to receive similar

news items from us or our sister organisation ITD in the future, just send a

blank email to itd with subject line " Un " .

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subject line " Subscribe " .

 

 

 

 

Rita Fazio,

 

Korea Animal Protection Society (KAPS)

International Aid for Korean Animals (IAKA)

http://www.koreananimals.org/index.htm

 

 

Don't turn your back upon their pain, because it's hard to see.They have no

other place to turn, They've only you and me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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