Every day about 3,000 dogs of all colors, breeds, and sizes wag their tails. Taiwan is home to this unusual animal shelter; you are not dreaming. The family-run Mrs. Hsu’s Sanctuary opened its doors five years ago. Because of stray dogs, animals weigh more than humans do. The number of stray dogs increased until a kind person donated a sizable structure to house them all. It can now hold more than 3,000 dogs. Four years ago, Angel Wang started volunteering at the shelter after noticing an increase in the number of animals.
Will a large number of stray dogs ever decrease? I adore dogs, especially stray ones. Due to the number of animals, our shelter is the biggest in Taiwan, Wang says.
In an effort to reduce their population, Taiwan banned the execution of stray dogs in February 2017. Pet spaying and neutering are now top priorities. This is fantastic and hopefully suggests a more advanced society. Mrs. Hsu’s Sanctuary is establishing best practices and educating the public about the dangers of selective breeding. Others were saved from motorcycle accidents or gin traps, which farmers use to keep animals away from crops. Some were stray animals.
“We have a vet in our shelter, but if a dog is seriously hurt, they’re taken to a nearby animal hospital. We have dogs with paralyzed rear legs or lost legs. The shelter has full-time staff, volunteers, veterinarians, groomers, and even a company that makes wheelchairs for dogs. There are rooms dedicated to stray cats and dogs. The male stray groups can go to the dog park to play and walk with volunteers because they are used to living together” says Wang, who spends some one-on-one time with her best friend, a grey puppy with a shaggy puppy.
