I live in Taiwan and there’s often a market near my home. In the market, I frequently see an animal protection group offering animals for adoption. They set up a stall and put animals up for adoption.
This seems like a good cause at first.
However, I noticed something strange and, based on my friend’s experience, I realized something wasn’t right.
This group switches out a batch of cats every month. They usually have about 20 animals available at once. The issue is that no one adopts them.
Most of the animals are disabled, with broken limbs, blindness, broken tails, and damaged wings. Each animal has some form of health problem.
What’s worse is that when someone tries to adopt, they discourage you.
For example, you must have a monthly salary of at least US$5,000 to adopt, you can’t be a couple (since they think couples might abandon the pet if they break up), and you must own a house (house prices in Taiwan are high, with even rural properties costing around US$642,486).
Because of all these conditions, people rarely adopt animals from this group.
There are many similar groups in Taiwan, and some are even worse. Some will refuse adoption if you don’t donate.
Now, let me tell you about my friend’s experience. He once adopted a cat from this group, which they said was healthy. But less than a month after he brought it home, the cat suddenly went into shock. After a vet check, it was discovered that the cat had congenital heart disease.
My friend was confused because when he adopted the cat, the group gave him a health certificate and a vet certification. But when he had the vet recheck, he found out that the certificate was fake.
In the end, my friend spent almost 50,000 US dollars trying to save the cat, but it didn’t survive.
When the group found out, they accused my friend of animal cruelty.
My friend kept trying to clear his name, but it was tough.
There are too many of these kinds of groups in Taiwan. 
That’s really sad, but thank you for sharing this story with us.
Tal said:
That’s really sad, but thank you for sharing this story with us.
Yes, many people in Taiwan originally wanted to adopt pets, but now, because of these types of groups, fewer people are willing to adopt. 