Poway Shelter to Welcome, Save 5 Dogs from Taiwan

After opening less than one week ago, the has sponsored five homeless dogs from Taiwan.

The dogs, all of which were neglected and are currently being cared for by the Taiwanese nonprofit TUAPA, will be rehabilitated by the animal behaviorists at the Poway shelter, which is owned by The Collared Scholar.

"I was devastated when I read the hundreds of stories of the dogs rescued from the streets of Taiwan," said Meagan Karnes, founder and senior behaviorist at The Collared Scholar.

The dogs, which are expected to arrive on Tuesday, are just five among the thousands that TUAPA currently cares for and will be some of the hundreds of dogs the center will care for without cost.

Karnes, who learned of TUAPA's need for assistance through her outreach efforts, said the dogs suffer from low adoption rates in Taiwan and rarely survive in the shelter.

"We couldn't stand the idea," she said. "When I talked with the volunteers at the shelter, they confided in me that even the young puppies probably would live their entire life in the shelter, barely having any time outside and spending most of their life confined to a tiny cage."

Of the five dogs coming to Poway, Karnes said "Pineapple" has the most severe story. She said the dog was likely abused by someone who poured "hot oil on his back," causing his skin to peel. The other dogs experienced neglect.

"I was up many nights with nightmares about the poor dogs suffering in the Taiwan shelter," she said. "I had to step in. Now these dogs are flying all the way to San Diego from Taiwan for a shot at a better life."

The center opened in Poway on Feb. 5 with the goal of providing assistance to dog owners and nonprofit organizations that help animals.