Taiwan has recently experienced a series of pit bull attacks, triggering widespread social panic. This has made it even more challenging for pit bulls, which were already difficult to adopt, to find new homes, leaving them at risk of being confined to shelters until they die. The New Taipei City Animal Home currently houses four pit bulls that have been in the shelter for over two years, with adoption prospects remaining bleak.
New Taipei City Animal Protection Office Director, Yang Shu-Fang, noted that while pit bulls are loyal and affectionate, their aggressive nature, stemming from their historical use as fighting dogs, cannot be ignored. This has deterred many potential adopters. Currently, New Taipei City has 249 registered pit bulls under supervision. Following extensive media coverage of recent pit bull attacks, some owners have faced pressure from family and neighbors, leading them to contact the animal protection office to surrender their dogs.
Yang Shu-Fang emphasized that abandoning pit bulls would result in severe penalties. She stressed that if owners follow the law and properly care for their pets, there would be no issues. "When deciding to raise a pit bull, one should be prepared for the responsibilities involved. It is irresponsible to abandon them due to public pressure," she said. Pit bulls require high-level management, and caring for them in shelters is costly. They must be kept separately to avoid conflicts with other dogs, and their exercise requires specialized training and personnel, making their care a significant challenge.
Pit bulls are known for their powerful jaws, which can lock onto prey and cause severe injuries. This has instilled fear in the public. Yang Shu-Fang pointed out that while pit bulls are loyal to their owners, if they are abandoned and placed in shelters, they undergo an adjustment period requiring substantial resources to rebuild trust. Additionally, pit bulls cannot be released simultaneously due to the risk of conflicts among them, posing a high risk for management staff. "Some shelters lack the manpower to handle pit bulls, leaving them confined for extended periods, which is also a form of cruelty to the dogs," she lamented.
New Taipei City's pit bull adoption criteria are stringent, requiring professional trainers to assess the home environment for safety and stipulating that there should be no children in the household and no dogs in neighboring homes to minimize potential risks. Even when potential adopters meet these criteria, they often face opposition from family members or neighbors, causing adoption plans to fail. "Some people are willing to adopt, but once news breaks out, family and neighbors start worrying and opposing it," Yang Shu-Fang explained.
Last year, there was a slight increase in acceptance of pit bulls, but recent news has driven adoption interest to an all-time low. The government has banned the importation and breeding of pit bulls, meaning that as existing pit bulls age, Taiwan will eventually no longer have them. Yang Shu-Fang emphasized that the current focus should be on strengthening management and guidance for owners to prevent further incidents and reduce societal rejection of pit bulls, hoping that once the media frenzy subsides, there might be opportunities for these dogs to find accepting families.
