Translated by Cara Steenstra

News released by Government Information Office

Release Date: 2006-03-09

In response to the dog abuse incident at the Taichung City Animal Quarantine Center, Taichung City Mayor Jason Hu visited the center, the Taichung Pet Zoo and other areas on March 9. He expressed that this is the first time during his five years in office that harm has been caused due to staff negligence and he deeply regrets this. Apart from handing down punishment to the Animal Quarantine Bureau Chief Wu Long Tai, Mayor Hu has also decided that the temporary dog shelter at the Animal Quarantine Center will be shifted to the Taichung Pet Zoo and that the shelter conditions of stray dogs are to be improved.

On the morning of March 9, Mayor Hu inspected the Animal Quarantine Center and other related areas. He believes that this incident was caused by human negligence; so in the afternoon of March 9, Mayor Hu made the decision to demote Animal Quarantine Bureau Chief Wu Long Tai. Mayor Hu also expressed that he will actively deal with other existing internal problems of the bureau.

In an effort to improve the shelter conditions of stray dogs, Mayor Hu also decided that the temporary shelter would be shifted to where the Taichung Pet Zoo is currently situated. An additional stray dog shelter would be built there, so that when stray dogs are captured, they would be sent there for quarantine purposes first. Sick dogs will be kept at the shelter, and healthy strays will be put up for adoption at the Taichung Pet Zoo. This will create a better shelter for the stray dogs. He also expressed that he hopes to establish volunteer groups in the future, so that more people could be recruited to help assist the city government in dealing with the problem of stray dogs.