Walk past the row of pet stores on Anhe Road in Taipei’s Xinyi District, and you’ll be greeted by the sight of cages upon cages of the current fashionable breeds of cats and dogs. Those that aren’t sold while young, cute and desirable, face an uncertain future. Some may be abandoned outright, given up for a life on the unforgiving streets. The females among them could wind up being used as virtual breeding machines, useful only so long as they can keep churning out the next profitable litter, confined for the rest of their miserable days to horrifically but accurately named “rape stands.”
All of this takes place despite the fact that around the country, kill shelters are filled to the hilt with animals available freely for adoption — animals that are put to sleep if they are not adopted within 12 days of their capture. Such are just a few of the grim tenets of the pets-for-profit industry in Taiwan.
The situation is slowly changing for the better, however, thanks in large part to animal rights advocacy groups such as Animals Taiwan (台灣動物協會). Chairperson Liza Milne, active in the organization for nearly a decade, has long been a part of the fight not only to protect Taiwan’s pet population, but to educate the public on what it means to be a responsible pet owner.
Photo Courtesy of Kenny Paul
“Things are progressing in Taiwan and I feel the local community has come a long way,” she says of the progress being made. “Many people are now adopting animals instead of buying and they are also responsibly chipping, spaying and neutering their animals.”
DRAG QUEENS AND CONTORTIONISTS FOR ANIMAL RIGHTS
Among Milne’s many responsibilities for Animals Taiwan is the arduous task of fundraising for the non-profit organization. Recently, she was approached with the idea of doing a calendar featuring the bold and beautiful bodies and personalities of Taiwan’s music, arts and animal rights scenes. Milne not only jumped at the chance, but also got in front of photographer Kenny Paul’s lens herself for the December page.
“The whole day was fantastic,” says Milne of the shoot. “Everyone involved was so energetic and enthusiastic about doing this calendar. They all gave up their entire day to come out and help.”
Another featured model in the calendar is drag performer Magnolia La Manga, also active in performing for animal rights charities for about a decade. For La Manga, having such a diverse group of people come together for the cause is the calendar’s main virtue.
“The fact that there are drag queens in the calendar and at the launch party is just one aspect of using a slightly different hook to raise money for Animals Taiwan. Indeed, with dogs, drag queens, hunky mechanics and hot babes, the calender’s inclusiveness is its main selling point — there is something for everyone in it.”
Contortionist, model and dancer Samantha Denise also posed for the calendar. For her, the most important point is that the upcoming release party, at which she will also perform, will not be a one-off. Animal rights issues need to stay in the public eye, and she is one of the dedicated few who will make sure they do. In fact, she already has a few fundraising shows planned.
“The people who run the organization, all of the volunteers, the crazy performers and the dogs who benefit from it have become so important to me,” she adds.
■ Animals Taiwan Calendar Drop is Sunday 4pm to 9pm at Xanadu Taipei, 2F, 3, Ln 10, Chengdu Rd, Taipei City (台北市成都路10巷3號2樓). Guests can pick up a calendar and stay for a variety of musical and other exotic performances. Admission is free and all proceeds go to Animals Taiwan.
That US assistance was a model for Taiwan’s spectacular development success was early recognized by policymakers and analysts. In a report to the US Congress for the fiscal year 1962, former President John F. Kennedy noted Taiwan’s “rapid economic growth,” was “producing a substantial net gain in living.” Kennedy had a stake in Taiwan’s achievements and the US’ official development assistance (ODA) in general: In September 1961, his entreaty to make the 1960s a “decade of development,” and an accompanying proposal for dedicated legislation to this end, had been formalized by congressional passage of the Foreign Assistance Act. Two
March 31 to April 6 On May 13, 1950, National Taiwan University Hospital otolaryngologist Su You-peng (蘇友鵬) was summoned to the director’s office. He thought someone had complained about him practicing the violin at night, but when he entered the room, he knew something was terribly wrong. He saw several burly men who appeared to be government secret agents, and three other resident doctors: internist Hsu Chiang (許強), dermatologist Hu Pao-chen (胡寶珍) and ophthalmologist Hu Hsin-lin (胡鑫麟). They were handcuffed, herded onto two jeeps and taken to the Secrecy Bureau (保密局) for questioning. Su was still in his doctor’s robes at
Last week the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said that the budget cuts voted for by the China-aligned parties in the legislature, are intended to force the DPP to hike electricity rates. The public would then blame it for the rate hike. It’s fairly clear that the first part of that is correct. Slashing the budget of state-run Taiwan Power Co (Taipower, 台電) is a move intended to cause discontent with the DPP when electricity rates go up. Taipower’s debt, NT$422.9 billion (US$12.78 billion), is one of the numerous permanent crises created by the nation’s construction-industrial state and the developmentalist mentality it
Experts say that the devastating earthquake in Myanmar on Friday was likely the strongest to hit the country in decades, with disaster modeling suggesting thousands could be dead. Automatic assessments from the US Geological Survey (USGS) said the shallow 7.7-magnitude quake northwest of the central Myanmar city of Sagaing triggered a red alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. “High casualties and extensive damage are probable and the disaster is likely widespread,” it said, locating the epicentre near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay, home to more than a million people. Myanmar’s ruling junta said on Saturday morning that the number killed had
RSS