POWAY, Calif. -- A local dog rescue group is bringing abandoned animals from Taiwan to San Diego to save them from abuse and a cruel death.
The Collared Scholar, a Poway-based organization received it's first shipment of 10 dogs from a Taiwanese shelter at Los Angeles International Airport on Tuesday. The group is now trying to place the dogs with local families.
"In Taiwan they don't practice euthanasia," said Meagan Karnes, president of The Collared Scholar. "Oftentimes, people see dogs as a nuisance, so there are bear traps all over the streets to capture them. Instead of euthanizing them, they will burn, drown or electrocute them."
Karnes said Taiwanese animal shelters are overwhelmed by the number of stray animals. Some of the dogs that arrived on the flight had been caged with other dogs in a space so small they couldn't stand up, she said. When her rescue outreach program in Poway got wind of the living conditions, she said felt she had to act. Her group coordinated with a Taiwanese rescue group to bring some of the dogs to the U.S.
"Nobody is going to adopt these dogs unless they come over here, so we rescued them." said Karnes. "They now have a bright future but they need adoptive homes."
San Diego County shelters have hundreds of dogs that need homes. So why is Karnes' organization importing stray animals from Taiwan? Karnes response is that every life deserves a chance.
"To stay in our shelters would be like staying in the Hilton compared to where they are coming from," Karnes said.
Even though some of the animals have scars from abuse, Karnes said they are healthy and vaccinated.
"I'll be fostering the terrier mix," Collared Scholar volunteer Rebecca Weinrib said.
In addition to taking in one of the Taiwanese refugees, Weinrib is also working with Animal Advocates of the U.S., a group that rescues dogs from Mexican animal shelters.
"We have dogs coming from Rosarito (, Mexico,) very gradually from a hoarder that has about 65 dogs," said Weinrib.
So far two of the Mexican dogs have been placed in San Diego homes, but one still needs a family. As for the others still in Mexico, they won't stand a chance if the Mexican animal control gets to them first. Weinrib said.
"They will electrocute them with a car battery," she said.
Weinrib's group hopes to bring all the dogs from Rosarito across the border and place them with San Diego families.
For more information on fostering a dog contact The Collared Scholar, Animal Rescue Outreach Center or Animal Adocates of the U.S.
