CHANGHUA ANIMAL SHELTERS AT CAPACITY WITH ABANDONED PETS|地方反對新園區 彰化流浪狗收容空間不足

Changhua County's animal shelters have become nearly filled to capacity since the zero euthanasia policy took effect earlier this year. The county originally planned to build an animal park to increase the number of animals it could take in, but the idea faced public backlash. The Changhua County Government says it will continue to negotiate with local residents. This narrow space is filled with cages. This is an animal shelter for dogs in Changhua's Yuanlin City. Its capacity is 161 dogs, and at present, it is almost filled to capacity. Many of the county's other animal shelters are in the same situation due to the zero euthanasia policy that took effect on Feb. 4. The Changhua County Government originally planned to build a park for animals behind Xizhou Park to increase the number of animals it could take in. However, local residents opposed the plan. As a result, the county government began only taking in actual stray dogs, and the number of dogs sent to shelters in February fell to single digits. However, this has not resolved the problem of having nowhere to place stray dogs. The situation is better in Taichung. The city renovated an animal shelter in Nantun District and will do the same for another animal shelter in Houli District. This will increase the capacity from 500 to 1,000. Animal rights organizations say it would be better to control the problem at the source rather than spend large amounts of money to increase capacity. TRANSLATED BY：CLARE LEAR 民國90年以前法務部在台東縣設了8個監所，後來陸續裁撤台東看守所和綠島技訓所，目前還剩6個監獄和技能訓練所，仍然是全國監所密度最高的地區。但裁撤的監所利用率不高，地方民眾和NGO組織希望法務部能撥用做為公益使用。 位在台東市區的台東看守所，民國90年裁撤，將近一公頃的土地閒置，92年又改建為「矯正藝文展示館」，展示收容人手工作品，不過只有週末開放，被批評使用率偏低。 ==台東縣立法委員 劉櫂豪== 法務部目前把它 當成矯正藝文的展示館 但是我們也知道事實上 它的使用的頻率一定不高 台東看守所雖然改為藝文中心，但還是有監獄高牆冷冷清清的模樣，附近繁榮不起來，空間閒置的狀況，更讓許多沒有辦公地點可用的非營利組織和社福團體想要爭取，像是食物銀行，外界捐來的物資已經無處可放了，也想要爭取舊台東看守所做為辦公室。 ==台東區食物銀行專員 高馨儀== 因為寸土寸金 如果想要有一個交通便利 廠商容易送貨 或是愛心物資 物流容易抵達 或大家很容易來取的 一個交流機會的地方 是並不容易的 ==台東縣社會福利聯盟理事長 洪宗楷== 台東這幾年來的 地價跟房價又在上漲 所以租金也愈來愈貴 這都是我們民間社團遇到的問題 所以我想這個閒置空間 再利用的案件 一定要努力來推動 法務部台東矯正藝文中心表示，目前的空間都還是正常運作，沒有閒置的問題，不過台東地區非營利組織已經聯合向法務部爭取這樣的空間做為公益使用，希望政府能協助解決。 記者 章明哲 台東報導