Ming was born blind and abandoned in a university campus in Yunlin County when he was picked up by animal rescue workers who reported the case to AHAG in Taipei.

After giving medical treatment to Ming, AHAG then proceeded to search for an adopter for Ming, posting Ming’s photo and information on its website.

Through a golden retriever association in the U.S., a couple who resides in Seattle obtained knowledge of Ming and contacted an AHAG volunteer who lived in the U.S., offering to adopt Ming on a trial basis.

Ming was received at the airport in U.S. by the couple under much fanfare as numerous U.S. media outlets picked up the story.

The local Fox news station ran follow up reports on Ming’s progress, which was even broadcast by the national network.

The Seattle couple later decided to permanently adopt Ming.

AHAG volunteer Yiu Li-hao said that a Taiwan golden retriever adopted by a U.S. resident is unusual as there are many more golden retrievers waiting to be adopted in the U.S.

AHAG runs a website which contains photos and information of animals waiting to be adopted in Taiwan’s animal shelters.

The association also provides medical treatment for animals including neutering.

Yiu said that AHAG promotes the TNR strategy to stray animals which was first adopted by animal rescue groups in the U.S. — Trap, Neuter, and Release.

As opposed to government-run animal shelters which kill the animals if they are not adopted within a certain time, AHAG releases its captured strays after neutering them.

“The purpose of the TNR strategy is to prevent the number of stray animals in Taiwan from growing,” said Liu.

Liu said that there is no law which prohibits animal shelters and animal rescue groups from releasing stray animals back into the street, and said that AHAG releases its animals in rural areas which do not affect people as much.

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