A Typhoon of Emotions..and a Typhoon

Tsaotun shelter visit

Dai Dai!! Isn't he the funniest and cutest thing ever?!! :)

I'm sorry that I haven't written in a while. Like I probably have said before. Right now I am working at 3 different branches and have been given this class that has become a MAJOR challenge! On top of that, I am in the upper level Chinese class and am struggling. Not to mention, all the other every day things that need to be done and by the time rest time comes along I am too pooped to do anything but either sleep or veg out on Facebook or hang out with da Hino.

But, I have been trying to help out Taichung PAWS! The volunteers need desperate help and of course!! The doggies!!

So first the somber:

A couple of us decided to go to Tsaotun today since it is that time of the month and help out like we normally do. As circumstances would have it, today happened to be when the typhoon would start to hit REAL hard. Maybe we were crazy, but we wanted to help.

So, we get to the shelter and things went as usual...cutting the grass with the shears and sickle, cleanign the hair and poop and moving cages so the ground could be cleaned.

But then these two guys came to give us gifts...to thank us for helping out. To be honest, I think those of us that were there are still trying to figure everything out. Basically, as this was all going on, one of the volunteers noticed that a couple of the dogs had stitches (sorry if I am misconstruing this, if so please tell me!!) and she asked why. After a few run arounds we finally got an answer that was something like...the neighbors were complaining about the barking, and the landlord said they would evict the caretaker and the dogs so the caretaker HAD to cut out a couple of the dogs' vocal chords...?

...


?!

This came as a shock to us because the money that was spent on this asinine procedure should have been spent on getting these dogs medical treatment and other necessities. And just because those couple of dogs now have no vocal chords, the other dogs are still going to bark!!!!!

Ok, I'm new to all of this and yes, I am ignorant and naive, but this is just ridiculous! And I feel even more ignorant and naive because I assumed that these people knew how to handle a shelter and care for the dogs, but they don't!!

And what those two guys were doing there...hell if I know!! Apparently like everything else in this world, the system is corrupt as are the people.

My friend, one of the volunteers was so upset she ended up crying a couple times and for good reason! She is one of the founders of the organization and she has worked so hard to make things better and then something like this happens!!

And of course, I feel even worse because even though the puppy was a LOT better and healthier (well externally seen) I had to put it back in its cage and leave it there...and in the typhoon no less!


So now we have to figure what we are going to do about the shelter. This is a serious matter and we can not keep coming there if they aren't going to do jack shit to make it better!!! I mean, Jesus Christ!! The whole point of it is to MAKE THINGS BETTER and it's NOT!!!! It's worse!

But be on the lookout...if we can talk this over and get this fixed, we are hoping to have a fundraiser. I WANT a fundraiser for this shelter and I WANT these dogs adopted and into loving homes where the owners are smart enough as well as treat them in the best way possible!! Even if I am still tiringly(is that a word? oh well it's my word now) busy like I am now, I have decided to dedicate on or two days on the weekend to help Taichung PAWS!

I've also started walking the funniest and happiest dog on Saturdays with Hino. We go to a vet nearby and since this dog is being housed there temporarily until we find it a loving home, I volunteered to take it on a walk every Saturday. This lil guy's name is DaiDai and he is a pug (see above) and he is the CUTEST thing ever!! He seems to be healthy and he walks so adorable and happy!

I REALLY hate not being able to take these dogs home!! Once again...motivation for me to get my Master's , become fluent in Chinese and get a nice paying job where I can adopt these cuties!!!!


On a more positive note, I am happy to have great friends, DA BEST FAMBLY IN DA WORLD and finally, a great boyfriend who is actually there for me and get along with! I'm very grateful! Now, if I could just get Toetje (That's my name for da baby-His fur looks like Cookies and Cream ice cream and Toetje is Dutch for little dessert)and Dai Dai and Lucy and Star and Cinderella(Ok I don't remember Cinderella's name but for some reason I had a dream that was her..or is it his?? name) adopted then I wouldn't feel like such a wretch!!


And...TYPHOON DAY TOMORROW! No school! Yippee! :)


Tsaotun shelter during typhoon and otwo links to vids of Hino and I walking Dai Dai because it is almost 3am!!
http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=43693115
http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=43693310

He Stole My Heart

This puppy randomly wandered into the Tsaotun shelter on Sunday while we were cleaning it. Supposedly this little guy's brother/sister was found dead nearby. He was scared and has white warts all over his underside if I remember correctly.

We have to keep him in the cage because the other dogs in the shelter are a lot bigger and could really hurt the little guy. The shelter's caretaker, another volunteer and I took turns holding him and cuddling him before putting him in the cage. We also fed him and gave him water.

The one volunteer asked me if I could take it home but there is absolutely NO WAY that I can no matter how much I want to (And BELIEVE ME!!! I WANT TO!!!!!) First, my landlord forbids ANY pets. 2. I work late morning like 11:00 to 10:00 at night...Tuesdays and Fridays, I am gone from 9am to 10pm because of Chinese class and work. I live on the 7th floor in the TINIEST studio apartment. I am leaving for Thailand for a couple daysin October and will be in Holland visiting family at Christmas and refuse to leave a dog anywhere besides someones house and noone would watch him for me anyway...plus NO money!

I hate myself for not taking him home!!!! But...everything is against me...I have been crying every night just thinking about him all alone in that rusting cage with noone to cuddle with...

And the worst part is...he reminds me SO MUCH of the family dog, Bogart, which just rips my heart even more!!!!

So I have been putting flyers at all three of my schools so that someone could take him to a vet and could give him a loving home!! I have been on Facebook trying to find someone who can help!!


As for Tsaotun shelter...it is getting worse. My biggest worry is the cages. They are rusted, falling apart and are soo uncomfortable and unhealthy for the dogs. The dogs need cleaned, the ticks removed and flea sprayed, but usually we only have energy to cut the grass (by hand using sickles and shears) and to clean the floor which has poop and hair...of course! As well as clean the food and water bowls...

The lady who takes care of the shelter does what she can but trust me, she does NOT look like she's rolling in money (no offense). On Sunday, there were 6 of us there, but that still didnt seem like enough people!! Besides, the Taiwan heat in August makes everything harder!

The shelter is in dire need of help. I applaud this woman for having this shelter for the dogs when so many Taiwanese are uneducated about animal welfare. I have heard so many horror stories of how animals are treated here. People here are very uneducated. For example, I went to the Jing Guo park one Sunday where TUAPA hold their pet adoption event every Sunday. The person I was with wanted to feed one of the dogs "pearls" (tapioca balls) from his Pearl Milk/Bubble Tea. I had to tell him dogs CANNOT eat that! It is not good for their stomach. That worried me...He had also told me stories where I wondered if he and his family were fit to have a pet. He didn't do it out of cruelty, it was just plain ignorance.

I also heard stories of Taiwanese kids putting rubber bands around dogs noses..or people doing it for whatever asinine reason and then the dog's nose is amputated or what not because the rubber band cut off its circulation. People really are stupid and terrible sometimes.

Sooo...with all this in mind..I REALLY want to find this puppy a loving home, but I'm scared that a family is going to leave him right where he was when he wandered into the shelter-scared, alone and sick. I wish I could take him away from all that and keep him and cuddle with him every night, but unfortunately I am not sure that situation would be better with my working long hours and such.


So please! Someone help him!!! Give him a loving home!!! Let him cuddle with you on the couch and give him the love and attention and fun and nourishment he needs...PLEASE!!!!!!!!! I am on hands and knees!



One last note...I deeply apologize for my ridiculously potty mouth in the last post. I've been stressed about work and frustrated with people. I guess I had been holding it all in and it just came out in a very stupid and negative way. Not to mention HIGHLY UNprofessional. I'm very sorry if I offended anyone and will try to be less rude in the future. But..I don't want to delete the post as it is a part of my life and think it is silly to do such.
(Plus my mom gave me a lecture about it and Mom knows best-haha!!)