A family in Taiwan has taken their love of dogs to the next level; the Hsu family has dedicated their lives to caring for dogs in need, and are currently caring for 3000 stray pups.
Mrs. Hsu’s Sanctuary, a family-run shelter founded five years ago, has more dogs than people. As a result of the country’s excessive number of stray dogs, the Hsu family gradually began to take in small groups of strays, and the number of strays continued to grow until, eventually, a generous donor donated a large facility to serve as a suitable shelter.
Angel Wang, like the countless volunteers who devote countless hours to the dogs, began volunteering at the shelter four years ago after realizing that there were far too many dogs in her neighborhood without homes.
Wang adores her one-on-one time with the dogs, and she’s made her best friend along the way. Wang noticed a shaggy, friendly-looking gray pup who had been rescued from the streets in December 2015.
Wang particularly loves the one-on-one moments with the dogs — and has actually found her closest friend along the way. Back in December 2015, Wang noticed a shaggy, kind-looking gray pup who had been rescued from the streets.
“She was immediately very kind to me and wanted to sit on the floor and play all day,” Wang shared. “Every time I’d go into a volunteer, she would spot me and would walk beside me for the rest of the day. I eventually started calling her Huei Huei, which means ‘gray.’”
As the months went by, the period Huei Huei lived in the shelter changed into years. But Wang kept providing exceptional care to her — and in March 2017, she formally adopted her and took her home.
“She touched my heart,” Wang stated. “We became such good friends.”
Despite the fact that the number of dogs far outnumbers the number of employees and volunteers, people in the area work around the clock to care for the animals — and are entirely funded by donations from members of the community who believe in their mission.
Taiwan became the first country in history to outlaw the euthanization of stray dogs as a method of population control in February. Alternatively, animal shelters such as Mrs. Hsu’s Sanctuary are putting a greater emphasis on spay and neuter programs, which is a much-welcomed change that will undoubtedly raise awareness about the dangers of breeding.
The shelter has an exclusive supporter who creates personalized, low-cost wheelchairs for dogs who require them, in addition to the numerous regular employees and volunteers.
In addition to veterinary care, the shelter has a large grooming area, a night room for the puppies, and a separate room just for cats.
Because the majority of the dogs are strays who are used to being around other dogs, they usually spend the day outside in the “park,” where they can socialize and go for walks with volunteers.