Caring for Stray Dogs: A Reflection and Call to Action
Since the day I started raising a dog, I gradually began to pay attention to the homeless stray dogs and cats on the streets. Where do they find their daily meals? When heavy rains pour down or cold waves strike, where do they go for shelter? Thinking about this, and comparing it to the happiness of the furry treasure at home, the plight of stray dogs touches my heart even more deeply.
For those who have the means, I believe every pet lover hopes for the chance to do something for stray dogs. But what kind of tangible actions or friendly help can one offer? I often think, why not just bring a stray dog home? After all, it just means adding a few more bowls and chopsticks. However, facing reality, not everyone can bear the responsibility of caring for a pet for its entire life. As a result, many people learn to hide their love for these animals and turn a blind eye to the pitiful strays. This is why, whenever I see stray dogs, I always feel a mixture of sadness and helplessness, yet I seem forced to put aside my love for them and instead give that love to the furry companion at home.
The issue of sheltering stray animals has long been a concern for everyone. Stray dogs are either wandering the streets, sent to shelters, or abandoned in stray animal zones. In reality, efforts to help stray dogs and cats find a home are not significant. Like being stranded in a bay, they never dare to hope that it could be a lifelong safe harbor.
We wholeheartedly love our own dogs and want to share that love with stray dogs as well. Yet, realizing the ideal of "adoption instead of purchase" requires manpower and financial resources from the early stages of care and feeding to completing the adoption process. How should the follow-up care and tracking after adoption be carried out? Every step to realize this ideal needs various tangible and intangible support, and most importantly, a strong team committed to making it happen.
However, did you know? Despite the less-than-ideal reality, there is another thing we can do to give stray dogs a home: take them to a temporary foster place called a "halfway home". This is a warm, love-filled temporary residence where a few people or a group help care for the daily lives of stray dogs. Anyone who loves dogs and cats can interact closely with these strays, hug them, and through this experience, awaken people's willingness to adopt.
What is a Foster Home for Stray Dogs?
A foster home for stray dogs serves as a temporary refuge before these animals find their permanent families. As the name suggests, a foster home is a designated space created specifically for stray dogs and cats, acting as an interim shelter to provide warmth and care. It allows these homeless animals to avoid the hardships of living on the streets and helps prevent them from ending up in overcrowded shelters.
Foster parents dedicate their time, money, and energy to create an open and welcoming environment for stray dogs. They care for the dogs attentively, ensuring they look healthy and well-groomed, while also training them with basic rules. This preparation helps future adopters develop a stronger affection for the dogs, increasing the chances of successful adoption.
Most foster parents use their spare time to care for these animals and support the foster homes financially from their own earnings. For them, the fulfillment comes from realizing the dream of helping stray dogs find loving homes. In this way, foster homes become a shared sanctuary for stray dogs.
Another model of foster care involves a group of dedicated pet lovers who provide financial support to maintain so-called "stray dog parks" or sanctuaries. People who find stray dogs can place them in these parks, where the dogs are cared for collectively. This method requires less time and effort from individual supporters, who may not have the means to foster animals at home. However, this approach can face challenges if sponsors suddenly withdraw support, leaving the sanctuary overwhelmed with animals. Over time, this can strain resources and hinder the goal of finding permanent homes for the dogs.
Foster homes represent the best approach to caring for stray animals. This ongoing social issue demands diverse, effective, and sustainable solutions. Efforts include promoting foster care and adoption through cafes and other community activities, leveraging digital marketing, and collaborating with different industries to increase the visibility and adoption rates of stray dogs. By inviting more dog and cat lovers to join these initiatives, foster homes can amplify the power of love and care for stray animals.
Where Are Taiwan's Stray Dog Halfway Home?
Lang Lang Don't Cry Halfway Home: Investing Profits into Caring for Stray Dogs
"Lang Lang Don't Cry Halfway Home" is a unique initiative that channels the profits of a for-profit café into the care of stray dogs. The café, named "Lang Lang Don't Cry", operates as a business whose earnings serve as the financial source for supporting and sheltering stray dogs.
Unlike many foster parents who rely on their personal income to care for rescued animals, "Lang Lang Don't Cry" depends entirely on the café's profits to sustain its operations. This self-sufficient model enables the rescue and adoption of street dogs, helping them find loving homes through a sustainable business approach.
The founder of "Lang Lang Don't Cry", a millennial woman named Tan Rou, firmly believes, "Every life deserves love. Instead of spending a lot of money buying purebred animals, it's better to adopt stray animals." Motivated by this conviction, she aims to use diverse communication channels to realize her ideal of returning each stray dog to a warm and caring home.
If you are a dog or cat lover, you can visit any of the "Lang Lang Don't Cry" cafés located across northern, central, and southern Taiwan to spend a relaxing afternoon with stray dogs. Additionally, 3% of your spending at these cafés is donated to support stray animals' medical care and neutering efforts.
Or perhaps you are waiting for a special companion to bring spiritual vitality and joy into your life—consider welcoming one of these rescued dogs into your family.
About the Café and Its Mission
The founders rented a two-story old house in a bustling urban area to establish a halfway home combined with a café. This innovative model breaks the stereotype of animal shelters being remote, smelly, or noisy places. Instead, it offers a warm and inviting environment where visitors can interact directly with mixed-breed dogs (known locally as "miks" or street dogs), which are often overlooked or undervalued.
The café does not accept donations directly but encourages customers to support by purchasing monthly supplies such as pet food and diapers through their official channels. This approach maintains transparency and sustainability while promoting the concept of "adopt, don't shop".
The Founder's Vision and Challenges
Tan Rou's passion for animal welfare began early, and after years of personally rescuing mixed-breed dogs, she and her husband decided to invest their home-purchasing fund into creating an open halfway home café. This space allows people to leisurely dine and simultaneously meet adoptable dogs, increasing adoption rates through emotional connection.
Despite facing skepticism, online criticism, and financial challenges, Tan Rou remains steadfast. Her motto, inspired by her mother, is: "If you are afraid, don't do it. If you don't do it, you won't fail. But if you do, you must move forward courageously."
Over three years, "Lang Lang Don't Cry" has helped more than 360 stray dogs find permanent homes. The café also actively dispels misconceptions about mixed-breed dogs, showing that they can be just as lovable and exceptional as purebreds.
How You Can Help
- Visit any "Lang Lang Don't Cry" café in Taiwan to enjoy a coffee while supporting stray animals.
- Know that 3% of your purchases go directly to funding neutering and medical care for strays.
- Consider adopting a stray dog or cat to give them a loving forever home.
- Spread awareness about adopting instead of buying pets, helping to reduce the number of abandoned animals.
"Lang Lang Don't Cry" demonstrates a sustainable, compassionate model for animal welfare—combining business with heartfelt care to give stray dogs a second chance at life.
Taiwan Love Dog Stray Foster Association
The Taiwan Love Dog Stray Foster Association is dedicated to helping stray dogs that are in critical condition due to severe injuries requiring special care. The association's team provides long-term care for stray dogs who have suffered abuse or accidental injuries, nurturing them until they fully recover.
Acting as a foster home, the association also assists these dogs in finding loving adoptive families who will cherish and care for them wholeheartedly. Beyond strictly screening potential adoptive homes, the team continuously follows up and visits the adopted dogs to ensure they live safely and happily in their new families.
The association emphasizes that the foster home is not the dogs' permanent residence. Its ultimate goal is to find true, loving adopters for stray dogs and cats, so they can have a warm and permanent home, ending the cycle of abandonment.
Taiwan Mix Care For Stray Animals Association
About the Association
The Taiwan Mix Care For Stray Animals Association, also known as Micos Halfway Home, was founded with the mission to provide stray dogs a safe and comfortable temporary resting place. The association is dedicated to promoting and advocating the concepts of "adopt, don't shop" and "no abandonment after adoption" within society.
Mission and Goals
Many stray dogs living on the streets have suffered significant physical and psychological trauma, causing them to lose trust in humans and become defensive. To overcome this, the association's team invests great effort and care to earn the trust and reliance of these dogs. Through patience and dedication, they gradually help the strays become more approachable and reveal their gentle nature.
This progress not only improves the flow between the halfway home and adopters but also increases the chances of these stray dogs finding permanent homes.
Commitment to Animal Welfare
Taiwan Mix Care For Stray Animals Association serves as a vital sanctuary for stray dogs, focusing on rehabilitation and socialization to prepare them for adoption. By fostering understanding and compassion in the community, the association works tirelessly to reduce the number of stray animals and improve their quality of life.
Conclusion
Although awareness of the concept "adopt instead of buying" is not yet deeply rooted in Taiwanese society, many friendly seeds have already been sown in various corners. Whether through animal shelters, foster homes, or stray animal sanctuaries, the ultimate goal is to help stray dogs find a place to belong. Beyond simply providing food and shelter, these efforts aim to give these animals a home where someone is willing to unconditionally care for them and offer the long-awaited embrace and affection they deserve.
