Number of cases reported to the TSPCA continuously increase. Apart from the long-term chaining of animals, the most frequent cases involve long-term caging. One case involved a dog being kept in a small alleyway of New Taipei City.
No specific address or number was provided by the case reporter, only the alley name. (We would like to remind everyone to please provide a complete address when reporting a case to the TSPCA) When turning the corner, we saw a cage which was the same height as a person and the same length as a car, with two Golden Retrievers inside. The two dogs were very friendly and could follow commands, leaving us curious as to why they were caged.
After we rung the doorbell for a while, a woman opened the door. After explaining the reason for our visit, she described how she takes care of these dogs and why she had to keep them in the cage. Investigators advised her that despite being unable to walk the dogs, she needs to let them out every day instead of confining them to the cage, as these are the basic requirements of an owner.
The woman stated that she was elderly and that she could not walk them with her injured hand due to the dogs’ strength. She also was troubled that neighbors kept complaining to her about the smell of her dogs and their feces. Not giving up, we asked whether her children could help her take care of them and if she could wash away the feces after the dogs relieved themselves. However, she said that her children got off work late and did not have the time. Then, she asked, “Is there anyone who would want to take care of these dogs?” We answered that we would help make enquiries, but that she should still try to provide the dogs exercise in the meanwhile. “They need to get enough exercise, and it is wrong to cage them.”
During our visit, we helped her to walk the dogs whom were clearly excited to be outside. To the investigators, the lack of time outside of the cage was cruel to the dogs, but because they were in old age (a 9-year-old and 15-year-old), the dogs may also be sad to be separated from the original family.
After a long struggle, our investigators still hoped to provide the dogs with a more suitable environment and a better family to care for them. We therefore, set a time with the owner and Taiwan K9 Pawprint Rescue, a group dedicated to the rehoming of golden retrievers.
On the day of transfer, we watched the owner play with the dogs one last time. The neighbors teared up, as they were sad to see the dogs leave the community. After signing our relinquishment contract, we took the dogs in the car, with the owner accompanying us until we drove off. The first step after rescue was to take the dogs to see the veterinarian before heading to Taiwan K9 Pawprint Rescue’s center in Taoyuan.
The vet examination showed that both dogs’ legs were deformed and weak due to long term caging. In addition, with the absence of general checkups and sterilization, the older dog was diagnosed with cancer. Many cases like this, happen every day in our current world, but we hope for a time when stories like these will be a thing of the past.
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