In order to increase people’s knowledge about stray animals, Human Animal Care Club held a forum at Room 306, College of Education Building, at 7 p.m. on Dec. 18, inviting the renowned writer Chu Tien-yi to give a speech, which attracted many students. Lin Chun-chao, leader of Human Animal Care Club, a sophomore of Dept. of Civil Engineering, indicated that he has heard some people expressing their disfavor with the stray dogs in campus for some time. Therefore, he hoped that the forum could help people cultivate not only the concept of animal protection and but also the heart to care for the stray dogs in campus, knowing that there were a group of students taking care of these animals.

Chu Tien-yi, a volunteer who devotes herself to stray animals, encouraged people to give these stray dogs and cats some place instead of fearing or resenting them. She promoted the idea “Neuter rather than kill” because in her view, neutering is the only way to control the number of stray animals. “We can use TNR (Trap-Neuter-Release) rather than kill,” Chu said. “Whether they are domestic dogs, semi-stray dogs, or stray dogs, all of them need to be neutered, so that the problem of the stray dogs can be really solved.”

Although the number of the stray dogs will not decrease rapidly in the beginning by using the method of TNR, at least it can be controlled. Furthermore, TNR is the best way to meet the financial benefit. Chu suggested students to name the stray dogs in the campus, showing their names and pictures to school people, by which both the dogs and persons could be safe. She also pointed out that if you see a stray dog whose ear has been cut a little bit, it means that the dog has been neutered. The mark can prevent the stray dogs not only from being captured by government, but also from undergoing the operation again.

“This forum made me understand what TNR is, and how it helps to solve stray dogs problem,” Chung Hsing-pei, a second-year master student of Graduate Institute of European Studies, said. ( ~Shu-chun Yen )