So we woke up Sunday morning at 7:00AM and met up at MinQuan West Road MRT station at 8:00AM. After eating a quick breakfast, we started to drive down to Taizhong, which takes about 2.5 hours from Taipei. When we arrived at the shelter, the first thing we had to do was tidy up the place a bit. You can imagine, with THAT many dogs running around, there's gonna be a mess!
This is one of the larger areas for the dogs to run around. You can see that the couple who runs the shelter try to keep it in good condition. It's definitely not an easy feat and requires a lot of work.
This is one of the dogs at the shelter. He can only sit up because he has a lot of ailments in his body, which make it painful to stand like a normal dog. Many dogs at this particular location are handicapped in some way or another. I really admire the couple who own the shelter; they take a lot of handicapped dogs who require a LOT of intensive care, and they do their best to give them a comfortable environment to live in.
One of our main responsibilities this time was to wash as many dogs as we could. It was impossible to give all the dogs a bath because there were so many, but we did the best we could with the limited water supply. Some dogs really hated being washed, but they were obedient enough to stay still to let us do our jobs. This particular dog, however, looks like he's enjoying it!
Waiting to get doused with water. He looks a little bit helpless, doesn't he? haha
This dog was being really good and held still as he was catered by 3 volunteers. It's almost as if the dogs know we are there to help. They were very friendly and eager to play with us (even when they were wet~)
My good friends Gino and Finley also volunteered.
It's always nice to do volunteer work with friends.
We need more volunteers! Some of these dogs haven't had baths in a whole year (or more)!
Usagi is helping blow dry one of the dogs after a shower. The dog looks like he's enjoying it, doesn't he?
More blow drying!
This dog has lost an arm. A lot of these dogs were previously abused or involved in an accident, and because of there handicaps, their previous owners abandoned them. I really think people can be so cruel sometimes.
You can see this dog has an injury on his foot. I'm not too sure how he got it, but it makes me sad to see. However, it doesn't stop him from being energetic and jumping around! haha
I LOVE this picture. Gosh, this dog is so cute! Smile!
My main job that day was to be the event photographer. I really wanted to help with the washing and cleaning, but taking pictures was just as important as we hope after people see the pictures, more volunteers will emerge and also possible adopters for the dogs!
Even though I was mostly behind the camera, it didn't stop me from getting plenty of doggie lovin'! (and it also didn't stop me from getting dirty from all the doggie slobber on my t-shirt!) lol
He's a big dog!
Subtle shot
So many dogs!
This dog was one of my favorites. He's albino and also deaf, but that doesn't stop him from giving everyone his lovin'~ He was very kind and gentle.
Some of us helped clean out the cages
Often times, we would have situations where we had dogs on both sides that demanded (politely) for us to pet them. A good time to be ambidextrous!
Shaving time!
This dog required a LONG time to shave. He also had a lot of skin infections because it's been so long since he's had a bath. Donations for these shelters are also welcome. If we had had more equipment to help the dogs, we could have done much more.
Because the water supply was running low, some of us decided that it would be nice to take some of the dogs out for a stroll. They were DEFINITELY excited to be able to run outside. All of them were really well-behaved
As I mentioned above, there are many handicapped dogs. Here is one dog who's back legs don't function so she requires a "wheelchair"
This dog has lost all nerve and motor functions in his bottom half. He can't even urinate or defecate without the assistance of someone to squeeze it out of him. It was sad to watch
One of THE cutest dogs at the shelter. Although this little French pit bull has a wheelchair, it definitely didn't stop him from running around!
I want to take him home!
This dog is the mascot for the organization TCASA (Taiwan Companion Animal Support Association). He is simply adorable, and when he looks him at people, he tilts his head to the side. I mentioned how cute it was, and then one of the workers said, "oh, he tilts his head cuz he has a tumor in this brain." wah wah wah. That really killed the cuteness factor. He's still cute though!
Gino and I holding up a sign to support adoption!
Here's my friend Josh and I, taking pics with the dog right before we were about to leave. You can see in the background, most of the dogs had become exhausted after a day of playing with us and getting baths. Although some dogs were still awake to send us off with kisses, like the one giving me love on the left!
"How much longer do I need to bathe?"
"Almost done!"
There were a lot of volunteers that day. Most of us didn't know each other, but it didn't matter. We were all there to help a good cause. These dogs all need loving homes. Even with their handicaps, they all make amazing companions and are as loving and energetic as any dog.
I leave this post with a pic of my new best friend! I really miss these dogs already and it's only been 2 days. I can't wait to go back to any dog shelter and to spend a day helping out and giving these dogs hope that there is SOMEONE out there who will take them in and love them unconditionally. I really, really want a dog, but at my current housing and financial situation, I know I wouldn't be able to give my dog the attention he needs. In the meantime, I'm going to try my best to volunteer whenever I can. If you are in Taiwan and are interested in joining us or finding out more information on how to get involved, you can go to: https://www.facebook.com/tcasalovecatdog/info
to find out more information.
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