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Taiwan's officials and citizens look for new ways to house stray dogs and cats in place of shelters

Updated: Jan 9

There are about 160,000 stray dogs in Taiwan, and an unknown but considerable number of stray cats. However, the total capacity of Taiwan's 33 public animal shelters is less than 8,000. The vast majority of stray dogs Cats can only survive outdoors, with both the government and the public actively looking for safe places for them to live. The recently unveiled "Furry Forest Village" in Tainan is a case in point, and the privately built "Cat Village Natural Landscape Park" in Linkou is another charming example.


The Furry Village, built by the Tainan City Government on a lease from Taisugar, covers an area of ​​one hectare. The green trees, grass and streams create a pleasant ecological landscape. The 2,500-ping kennel is divided into six areas with galvanized iron fences, which is estimated to shelter 200 dogs. The Tainan City Government also purchased 90 wooden dog houses that are warm in winter and cool in summer, and painted them in eye-catching colors to make the Forest Village more vibrant!



The mayor of Tainan was also satisfied with this temporary placement area for stray dogs, and said that in the future he would follow this model to find appropriate locations in various districts to build more similar villages to house stray dogs and resolve conflicts between people and dogs. Unfortunately, Senhuo Village, which was scheduled to be opened on November 18, 2024, is currently idle due to unresolved staffing issues. It will have to wait until 2025 when caregivers are in place before it can operate and truly benefit stray dogs. (Note: According to Taiwan's "Organization Guidelines for the Establishment of Animal Shelters", there should be at least one veterinarian for every 100 animals and at least one staff member for every 40 animals. The Furry Forest Village needs to have two veterinarians and five staff members. )


Many people know that there is a Houtong Cat Village in Ruifang, Taiwan, which attracts tourists all year round, but not many people have heard of the Linkou Cat Village Natural Landscape Park. The cat village, built by the China Animal Protection Association on land leased from the New Taipei City Government, is located next to farmland and is mainly composed of a cat house. Although it is small in scale, it is very exquisite because the design of the cat villa is inspired by the friendly open spaces in Japan, while the concept of the cat villa is taken from Turkey, a cat- and dog-friendly country.


The cat house is divided into 60 independent units, so that each cat can have an undisturbed space. A row of multiple glass windows can satisfy the cats' natural love of looking out, and also allow visitors to face them through the window. It is not difficult to understand from the name of "Cat Village Natural Landscape Park" that the builders do not want this to be just a paradise for cats, but rather a paradise where humans and cats can coexist, where humans and cats can interact and get to know each other. Especially for children who come with their parents, they can develop the concept of respecting life and loving animals from an early age.


Tainan Furry Village has the same vision, hoping to use pleasant green spaces and park elements to attract parents and children to visit or take a walk, and to get close to the dogs in the village, giving them the opportunity to be seen and adopted. The Tainan City Government has also made it clear that since this is a temporary storage area for stray dogs, once its mission is completed, it can be transformed into a pet park, continuing to provide a good place for leisure for local residents and their furry friends.

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