At Animals Taiwan we often hear about amazing and inspiring people who are doing things on their own to help animals in Taiwan . Many individuals who rescue stray dogs or cats manage to find homes for them on their own. We love hearing these stories! If you know of a person or people who have done amazing things to help animals in Taiwan please email to . We would love to feature them in our newsletter.

One of the most impressive examples we've recently seen of people taking the inititiative to help animals on their own comes from Marjan Onrust and Marloes Schoonheim. During their two years in Taiwan , Marjan and Marloes who hail from the Netherlands , have rescued and helped over 100 cats and dogs!

Marjan and Marloes recently left Taiwan and took 15 stray dogs with them. These animals have all been adopted into homes in the Netherlands .

At Animals Taiwan we focus on finding homes for animals in Taiwan . There are many caring people who want to adopt stray dogs and cats in Taiwan . However, due to the large number of stray in Taiwan it is not always possible to do this. In early 2008, Marjan and Marloes plan to send another group of dogs from Animals Taiwan to the Netherlands . These dogs will include some of our three legged and wheel-chaired dogs. It has not been easy for us to get these animals adopted in Taiwan .
在動物台灣，我們常耳聞有善心人士獨力救助流浪動物。許多人甚至想辦法幫這些流浪貓狗找新家。這真是我們樂於聽見的好消息！假如你的週遭也發這樣的溫暖故 事，請寄電子郵件告訴 ，我們會把故事放在動物台灣的網站上與大家分享。

我們見過最感人的事件之一就是 Marjan Onrust 和 Marloes Schoonheim 的故事。 Marjan 和 Marloes 是在台兩年的荷蘭人，她們拯救幫助過一百多隻貓狗！她們是動物台灣的志工，但是卻沒有仰賴動物台灣的資源，而獨力拯救了這麼多流浪動物。

Marjan 和 Marloes 最近帶了十五隻狗兒一塊離開台灣，這些狗兒在荷蘭都有新家等待著牠們。她們打算在２００８年年初再送一群狗兒過去，這次要飛往荷蘭的是動物台灣的幸運狗兒 們。

15 Strays Fly to the Netherlands
In Taiwan many pets live out their lives in misery as often diseased or injured strays. In Taipei alone, 10000 cats and dogs are dumped onto the streets every year. The cat and dog overpopulation is a severe problem affecting both humans and animals. Civil dogcatchers don't make the situation any better. The inhumane treatment of impounded dogs in Taiwan has received considerable worldwide attention.

Both owned and stray pets are neglected, maltreated, and abused on an all too regular basis. In the news, we see sickening reports of the worst cases. Although the Taiwanese Animal Protection Act stipulates that: "An animal shall not be abandoned," "No one is allowed to harass, maltreat or hurt an animal out of malice or without reason," and "No one shall be allowed to kill an animal at will," the punishment for violating these rules are merely fines, and there is no criminal liability. Worse, there is no agency responsible for the enforcement of this law. Hence, the rules laid down in the Animal Protection Act are only ink on paper and hardly have a deterrent effect.

Over the past couple of years, we have rescued over 100 cats and dogs, at times with the help of Animals Taiwan . Our efforts have caught the attention of national and international media, such as CNN, BBC, and Taiwanese TV stations, newspapers and magazines. We recorded some of the animals we rescued on www.marloesschoonheim.com/raw . We received support from a Dutch charity to help us Catch, Neuter, and Release some of the animals that came through our home. For many of the animals that we rescued and cured and that could be rehabilitated, we found great, responsible homes in Taiwan (cats mostly). However, others just did not get adopted, and for them we have had to look abroad. Among them are a two-legged dog (Animals-Taiwan-rescued Sugar, who we have adopted), a three-legged dog, a one-eyed dog, a one-eyed cat, and a blind dog. Their chances of adoption here are very very slim. We have now found them loving homes in The Netherlands and Belgium . Their flights into a brighter future will take place on December 28th. Animal lovers in their dozens have come to the aid of these fantastic pets and pledged money to help us pay for the expenses associated with their international rehoming, and we are truly impressed and very grateful.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: We are already planning a second flight that will focus on Animals Taiwan's three-legged and wheel-chaired dogs and that should take place in early 2008. If you can financially support this operation, please make a donation. In Taiwan you can transfer your donation into Marloes Schoonheim ‘s Post Office bank account: 0002626-0402231. The bank branch number is 700. Or you can use Paypal and send your donation to onrust66@yahoo.com . Or donate to Animals Taiwan and write the word FLIGHT in the comments area of your transfer. The flying pets' details are here: www.marloesschoonheim.com/flystray Thank you!

Marloes Schoonheim

 

十五隻流浪動物的荷蘭行
在台灣有許多動物不幸淪落街頭，成為生病或受傷的流浪動物。台北每年就有一萬多隻棄養的貓犬。貓狗過度繁殖對人和動物都是嚴重的問題。國內捕捉流浪動物的 制度並無法改善問題。台灣對留置流浪動物的非人道待遇已受到世人關注。

不管是有人飼養或遭到棄養的動物，均受到程度不等的忽視、虐待、甚至凌虐。新聞報導中的病態事件更是層出不窮。儘管台灣的動物保護法規定： “ 不得遺棄動物 ” 、 “ 任何人均不得無故或蓄意騷擾，虐待或傷害動物 ” 、 “ 任何人不得任意殺害動物 ” ，違反這些規定的處分都僅是罰鍰而沒有刑責。更糟的是，連一個負責執行這項法律的機構都沒有。因此所謂的動物保護法充其量不過是紙上談兵，幾乎沒有甚麼阻 嚇作用。

過去兩年來，我們四個愛好動物人士在 Animals Taiwan 的不時援助下，總計救出了一百多條的貓狗。這份努力已受到了包括 CNN 有線電視新聞網， BBC ，和台灣的電視台，報紙及雜誌等國內外媒體的多方關注。我們在以下網站做了一些救援動物的紀錄 www.marloesschoonheim.com/raw 。我們也透過了一個荷蘭組織的幫助，以幫助我們做 CNR( 捕捉、結紮、釋放 ) 。 我們救出和治癒的動物中，有不少都在台灣找到了很棒的領養家庭（大多是領養貓咪。）對於其他未被領養的動物，我們只能向國外求援。這裡面包含只有兩條腿的 狗兒（動物台灣拯救了Sugar，我們領養了她。）一隻三條腿的狗，一隻獨眼狗，一隻獨眼貓，和一條全盲的狗，牠們被領養的機會十分渺茫。現在我們分別在 荷蘭和比利時為牠們找到新家，而能夠帶牠們飛向美好未來的班機訂於 十二月二十八日 。許多愛護動物的熱心人士不吝出錢出力幫助這些動物們飛向跨國新家，我們由衷地致上十二萬分的感激。

我們計畫在２００８年年初再飛一趟，這回的重點是放在動物台灣的三條腿和靠輪椅行動的狗兒們。假如您有餘力， 請贊助這項行動。在台灣您可以將贊助款項匯到 Marloes Schoonheim 的郵局帳號 0002626-0402231 ，銀行代碼是 700 。 或者您可以使用電子錢包 Paypal 將捐款寄至onrust66@yahoo.com。或者是將款項匯給動物台灣，然後在備 註欄位寫上 FLIGHT 。流浪動物的飛行細節請見以下網站，感激不盡！

Marloes Schoonheim