ANIMAL SHELTER NO-KILL POLICY FROM FEB. 6|流浪動物"零撲殺"上路 部分縣市執行有難處

Taiwan is the second country in Asia after India to enforce an amendment that bans animal shelters from killing unclaimed stray animals, which took effect on Feb 6. However, some have expressed concerns that animals could suffer if there isn't enough space and is forced to live in even more cramped environments. Stray animals no longer need to worry about being put to sleep. After the film Twelve Nights released to cinemas, the sense of animal protection has been raised for awareness. After two-year grace period, the zero-killing policy for stray animals is effective by Feb. 6. ==HUANG CHING-CHENG Deputy Minister COA== The Council of Agriculture funds counties and cities for building animal shelters, plus amending policies and improvements, we have been continuing to do these works. In order to follow zero-killing policy and prevent shelters from overcrowding, many cities and counties have their own ways to manage homeless animals. ==WU MING-PIN Dir., Tainan Animal Health Inspection Protection Office == We seek cooperation with animal husbandry and choose larger unfriendly stray dogs which are not likely to get adopted. Then we match and send those stray dogs to livestock farms for guarding and watching after cows. Cities such as New Taipei, Taipei, Tainan, Kaohsiung and other three places have already adopted zero-killing policy, however some other cities and counties are facing difficulties due to budget or human resources limitation. ==CHIU YU-HSUAN Taiwan Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals== No matter how large we can expand animal shelters, they cannot possibly house all stray animals in Taiwan. According to the Council of Agriculture, the number of stray animals in Taiwan is about 120,000. Shelters could only take 7,000 to 8,000. The animal protection groups believe, relying solely on government bureaus or civil groups are not enough to solving the problem. The only way is to strengthen life education and owner's sense of responsibility. TRANSLATED BY：ANTHONY LIN 毛小孩安穩的躺在人類懷裡，從今天開始，不用再怕被人道撲殺，電影十二夜上映後，國人動保意識逐漸抬頭，經過兩年的緩衝期，流浪動物零撲殺政策，從今天開始正式上路。 ==農委會副主任委員 黃金城== 農委會補助各縣市防疫所建 有關收容中心的這個部分 然後各種政策的修法以及改善 這個部分農委會一直在進行 為了因應零撲殺政策、避免收容所動物數量超收爆滿，許多縣市各有因應之道。 ==台南市動保處 處長 吳名彬== 包括跟我們的畜牧業結合 跟畜牧場結合 把一些可能比較大型 然後兇猛一點的流浪犬 一般比較不受社會大眾所接受 我們把牠媒合到畜牧場 去看管這些牛隻 包含新北、台北、台南、高雄等七個縣市，已經提前實施零撲殺，因此並無太大問題，但有些縣市礙於經費或人力，執行起來仍舊有一定難度。 ==台灣防止虐待動物協會 專員 邱于萱== 其實收容所 無論再擴張到多大 它都沒有辦法容納我們現在 台灣所有的流浪動物的數量 因為根據農委會統計 我們流浪動物數量 大概還有十二萬隻左右 其實我們收容所 頂多收到七、八千隻 動保團體認為，單靠公部門或民間團體，無法解決根本問題，唯有加強國人生命教育以及飼主責任，才能夠真正落實源頭管制。 記者 朱鳳治 彭耀祖 台北報導