This Jam Hsiao video popped out in my Youtube recommendations so I just clicked in to take a look for fun. That’s when I realised, ” Hey, this guy lives with 6 dogs and 4 cats!”
Note: This post shares Chinese videos but english subtitles are available. Copyright belongs to the original channels from which these videos are embedded from. Pictures are my own.
Youtube caption: 2017年，歌手蕭敬騰靠自己買下一棟8層別墅，和6隻狗4隻貓一起住，…
Anyway, the well-informed will probably say – that’s old news!
Jam Hsiao’s adopted dogs and cats
Mediacorp already wrote about this last year in this article – No one loves stray animals more than Jam Hsiao
The video above focuses more on his home tour but this Vogue Taiwan video last year focused on Jam Hsiao talking about his dogs, including the stray mongrels he adopted.
Mostly recently, Jam Hsiao collaborated with Namewee (Malaysian artiste) to create this music video about stray dogs, abandonment and their stand against euthanasia of strays.
See also Making of The Stray on Facebook
What can happen to some strays that get brought in?
All these brought back to mind the documentary Twelve nights《十二夜》 which screened in Singapore in 2014.
Twelve nights is a made in Taiwan documentary about dogs who are taken into a government-run shelter. New dogs taken in only have 12 days in which to get adopted before they die of disease or are destroyed.
You can read more about that here.
A dog plays alone at Taiwan’s Yeliou Geo-Park. Read This dog patrols Yeliou Geo-park
We may be all in different countries – Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan. But stray dog management is an issue that exists in common in these countries.
There is an existing stray dog population.
These dogs reproduce themselves in the wild.
Existing dog abandonment can add to the problem of the growing population of strays.
Culling and euthanasia is one way the authorities may manage the population of strays in some countries.
But dog lovers advocate adoption of these dogs as a kinder solution to manage the population of strays. Dog feeders and animal shelters act as the intemediary/halfway house to rehabilitate and connect these dogs to potential adopters.
But due to various reasons, not all dogs are adopted or can be adopted. A systematic Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program is another solution animal organisations employ to manage the stray population.
In this video, Namewee and his coworker rescues a dog they unexpectedly encountered at a work location. The dog was treated for his festering maggot wound and expected to be returned to where he was found when he recovers.
Warning: Viewers may find images of the open maggot wound exposing flesh and bone disturbing.
*The above is what I understand of the situation in brief but feel free to share more in the comments below with other readers if you have a deeper view of the situation.
Begging dogs at Pingxi, Taiwan. Read These dogs own the streets at Pingxi.
What can individuals do?
As a family who adopted one such local mongrel dog, this blog continues to exist to show that – Yes. Despite their stray heritage, these local dogs can adapt and live in a small flat. Right now our family has grown to include a new baby and a helper. So three adults, one baby and one dog in this flat of ours.
Our dog Donna with her human sibling. Follow @weliveinaflat
#adoptdontabandon Share this message with any friend considering to get a new pet!
Before you buy, consider if you will like to adopt.
And before you adopt, consider if you are truly ready to live a lifestyle with a dog. This includes being financially able to support the dog in the short and long term – training, food, toys and vet bills now and in the dog’s old age. All these add up.
Last but not least, adopt or buy from a responsible pet breeder, the choice is yours. But this commitment is for life.
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Kismet
Both Kaci and Kali are rescues. Kali was adopted once before and returned for being too “wild”. We got her and it has been 5½ years. Yes, she was wild for a little bit but then she realized that she was “home” and she’s turned into a great friend.