Urge Officials to Clean Up Horrific Conditions at Sanchong Animal Shelter

For several years, PETA Asia-Pacific has been monitoring the government-run Sanchong animal shelter outside Taipei and trying to work with government officials to improve the horrible conditions at the facility. But instead of improving, conditions have continued to deteriorate.

A severely injured dog who is unable to walk lies on the cold floor of his kennel in a puddle
of water and urine. The second image shows a close-up of the dog's swollen and lacerated leg.

The following are just a few of the problems that PETA Asia-Pacific has observed during its many inspections:

• Sick and injured animals were denied adequate veterinary care. PETA Asia-Pacific has repeatedly found extremely sick and severely injured animals who suffered without treatment of any kind, including a dog with pus-oozing wounds and dogs with severe skin infections. Just last month, PETA Asia-Pacific staffers found a dog lying on the cold cement floor of a kennel. He was unable to stand, walk, or even lift his head. The shivering dog's fur was matted and soaked in urine and feces, and his eyes were infected. His back legs were swollen and covered in lacerations.
• Puppies are housed in cages that allow their necks to become stuck between the bars. During one inspection, a PETA Asia-Pacific staffer had to use a pipe to free a trapped puppy, who would have died of dehydration had PETA Asia-Pacific not arrived.
• Dogs are given no protection from the elements. When it rains, they get wet. When the wind blows, they shiver. When the sun heats the ground, the dogs burn too.
• The concrete floor is uneven and pitted with holes, so pools of water and urine form and fungus grows in the dogs' runs and cages. Only a few animals have raised platforms, so most dogs are forced to lie in the muck.
• Aggressive and timid dogs are frequently housed together, which puts the animals at risk for injuries and makes it difficult for animals who are timid or weak to eat enough food.

PETA Asia-Pacific has been working with animal shelters all over Taiwan in an effort to improve conditions for animals. Nearly all the animal shelters—with the exception of the Sanchong shelter—have made notable improvements.

It is an outrage that animals would be allowed to suffer in this way. The Sanchong animal shelter has proved to be the worst shelter in the country, and it's an embarrassment to Taiwan. Please send a polite e-mail to Sanchong Officials urging them to take action to improve the conditions at the city's animal shelter.

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