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Wally Santana / AP
Photographer Tou Chih-kang calms a puppy as he tries to make a portrait before it is put down by lethal injection at a shelter in Taoyuan, northern Taiwan. All photos taken in April 2012 and made available to msnbc.com on July 5, 2012.
Wally Santana / AP
Tou Chih-kang hangs his portraits of the final moments in the lives of shelter dogs for a public exhibition in Taoyuan.
Over the past two years, Taiwanese photographer Tou Chih-kang has recorded the last moments of some 400 dogs, most of which were abandoned by their owners, at the Taoyuan animal shelter.
The Associated Press reports on Tou's work:
The dogs come in all sizes and shapes. Some are young and active, others grizzled, listless and battered. After Tou photographs them, veterinary workers take them for a brief turn around a grassy courtyard before leading them into a small, clinical-looking room where they are killed by lethal injection.
His photographs are redolent of the kind of formal portraits - of people - that were taken 100 years ago, designed to bestow dignity and prestige upon the subject.
Tou's aim is to raise awareness of animal rights in a country where an estimated 80,000 stray dogs will be euthanized this year. In an artist's statement posted alongside a web gallery of his photographs, he says:
In viewing these specific images, one looks directly into the eyes of the dog and the dog looks back. These images reflect the last opportunity to look. This is a final and decisive moment. Death is eminent [sic] and all that is asked of the viewer is to engage, to recognize the common bonds and to honor the resemblances between our lives.
Wally Santana / AP
Tou Chih-kang greets a dog scheduled to be euthanized later in the day at a government-run shelter in Taoyuan.
Wally Santana / AP
Tou Chih-kang tries to make a portrait of a puppy in a makeshift studio.
Wally Santana / AP
Tou Chih-kang and his assistant steady a scared dog for a portrait in the final moments of its life.
Wally Santana / AP
Tou Chih-kang hangs his dog portraits for a public exhibition in Taoyuan.
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This is not a good thing to look at when you are at work. I'm sitting in my office bawling. I just want to adopt them all. Spay and neuter your pets, people.
Hi Meg...you and me both. I wish I had a tissue.
Tears falling down all over my face. My current dog is a rescue Boston Terrier. I love him to death. He loves me. I will never buy from a breeder again. I encorage all my friends and family to do the same. I also encorage people, if they can, have two dogs - from a rescue.
This is sssssssooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sad to see!
It's not just in Tiwan. Happens every day here in the US.
I can't wait to get home and hug my dog. :(
Bless this man and his good heart. What a gift he has given these dogs...a little kindness before leaving this earth. Thousands of animals die every day in the United States in shelters. It breaks my heart, and I can hardly see to type as my eyes are welling with tears.
I have two friends who know the plight of shelter animals and they both just bought dogs from a breeder. It's very discouraging. I don't know what it's going to take, if people know about this problem and still turn their backs.
Julia, yes you are so right! Keep spreading the word. If you are anything like me, I do it regularly. I also admonish someone that does buy from a breeder.
There are some good reasons for buying from a breeder if you need certain traits, like the incredible and specific working characteristics of some herding and guarding breeds, so I don't mind responsible breeders having a few litters to maintain a breed's working abilities and I don't begrudge a person buying from a RESPONSIBLE breeder (I don't mean show breeders here). It sucks that these people have to pay the price for the ridiculous behavior of people who let their dogs run about intact getting pregnant with any random dog--how can people still do this? What I tell people who want a specific breed is that they are all available for adoption through purebred rescue groups--there seems to be one for any breed you are looking for, even if the wait may be a little longer if you are looking for a young individual. That may be better than admonishing them. Just steer them to petfinder dot com. As for myself, I adopt rescue and shelter domestic rats, some from horrible hoarding situations. Most are the most wonderful and affectionate companions--so amazing that animals will still trust humans after such abuse.
My first choice would be that all of these animals live long, healthy, happy lives with lovable owners. But if that is not to happen, I'd rather they be humanely euthanized by injection than their skins ripped off their bodies while alive, as is done in China and Norway. Such a sad world it is for helpless animals.
really tough stuff to see and read. I am a divorced male, mid 50's no childeren. my bassett-black lab, and welsh-corgi-chocolate lab are the center of my universe!! I have been to counseling to cope with my extreme fear of them passing away some day. I also have one of those families where noone gets along, visits or gets together even at chrismas, or thanksgiving. bad deal. so my love of animals Is huge! yesterday It was so hot, I even put Ice cubes In all the bird-baths, as I felt so sorry for them In this horrid heat-wave. thank the lord for his greatest gift to mankind, all the animals of the earth!
Raider rider, In the twenty yrs of doing rescue work my vets and I have had to make the decision to euthanise many animals that we tried so hard to save. Our focus is not on us and how we feel about ending their lives but about them and that they are sick and suffering. I don't know if you believe in God or not but I have to believe that if we can no longer care for them here on earth than who better to send them to, than God Himself. He will end their suffering and make them whole again and that is a great feeling to know they are in much better hands. When the end is near your dogs will let you know it is time to let go. Also I have found the best way to honor my cherished pets is to adopt others. For me it is my way of saying to them, the love we shared was great and that I don't want to live without that love, and that is the legacy they leave behind. Thank you for being so kind, for having compassion and empathy to all of God's creatures.
Norskejente you are exactly right, it is so hard to let a pet go as we had to with our black lab who lived nearly 17 years and was such an amazing dog but once I saw her start collapsing in the back yard I had to convince my wife that it was much more inhumane to just let her suffer like this. As followers of Jesus, we believe that although there is not a specific scripture stating so, it is definitely in his nature to restore animals in eternity. Raider Rider, I totally feel your pain but all you can really do when it comes to death of anything including ourselves is to place your trust in the one who has experienced death on our behalf but also overcame it. Death is the enemy of God and one day he will restore all things as they should have been from the beginning i.e "the lion will lay down with the lamb" and even animals will coexist as friends and not as enemies. I hope and pray you will find peace and solice in this knowledge. blessings
I never knew what the big deal was about people and their pets until my two Labs came into my life. Now I know. These photos are so visceral in their emotional subject matter that I had to hold back the tears.
I agree, these pictures of these poor dogs - and the imminant fate they face - heartbreaking. But for all of us who care about the fate of these animals, there's a workable solution; a complete alternative to this.
Most people aren't aware that shelter killing is the #1 cause of death for healthy cats and dogs in America. Sadly, 80 - 90% of cats & kittens and aprox. 60% of dogs & puppies are "euthanized" in most shelters across the country.
In direct contrast, there are dozens of shelters and communities that have turned that around and are now saving more than 90% of all the animals coming into their open-admission municipal shelters! It's a concept called the NO KILL equation - and it WORKS!! See info at www.NoKillAdvocacyCenter.org and Nathan Winograd's book REDEMPTION.
Evelyn, I don't blame the shelters, I blame irresponsible pet owners who fail to alter their pets. They are the NUMBER #1 reason and the only reason why these animals are put to death. Shelters are only able to care for a certain number of pets and when they are full and have to turn away people with pets, then those people usually drop their pets off on the side of the road. There are some shelters that take in hundreds of animals in one day and one I know of that everyday during the summer months euthanizes over a hundred cats per day. In order to stop the senseless killing we need to get to the root of the problem and that is irresponsible pet owners. Mandatory spay/neuter laws accross the country and hold those who don't obey accountable with stiff fines, and community service that includes holding animals while they are put to death. Maybe if they have to do the dirty work that they helped create they'll think differently.
Evelyn, thanks for posting that website! I was actually on that site not too long ago. Hope many others check it out too. Great organization! Going to get that book too!
I had about 9 ferrets because they were going to get put down otherwise and I think that it's illegal to have ferrets with working sex parts unless you're a breeder. I wonder if somehow this could become a law here in the states or if there's anything going on about this kind of subject.
I am the proud Dad of three beautiful little girls, a Siberian Huskie, a Border Collie, and their newly adopted little sister, a Boxer/Pit mix, and I can't even imagine not having them in my life. They are my pride and joys (and little buggers at times). I support No-Kill facilities, and whenever I hear someone talking about taking an animal to a shelter, I always tell them about several of the No-Kill shelters in my area. I even have taken them in myself, and have had them checked out by a vet, and fostered them until a good home could be found.
People, remember to have your pet spayed or neutered. Every pet should enjoy a long, healthy life in a home filled with families who love them, and care about them.
Dogman, bless you! My "baby" sis, who died of lung cancer 5 years ago, worked for years at her state's Humane Society. At one time she had over a dozen cats and at least 6 dogs. Only one of those animals came from the Humane Society, the rest were strays who she took in. All of those animals loved her dearly and they all got along. She had gotten her oldest cat when it was just a kitten. That cat was 19 when she died, just 3 months before my sis died. She noticed the cat was increasingly having trouble walking. She spent considerable time on the couch with a heating pad on her stomach (due to another health problem) and the cat loved to lay on top of the heating pad. On that last day she helped the cat up onto the heating pad, petted her, told her how much she loved her and what a good kitty she had always been then she said, "It's ok to go to Jesus now, I'll see you soon" and the cat passed peacefully away. Needless to say, I still cry telling that story. Oh how I miss them both.
These animals are filthy and in all probability, filled with disease. It seems they are being put out of their misery in the most logical manner possible. Anyone who wishes to take them can be assured of a dog-hair filled home, which smells of dog. If it would help the sympathies of many out there, just send them to China so they can be sold and eaten for food. There are many other nations that know how to consume them if they have no home. We are thinking of South Korea, Vietnam, North Korea, Laos, Burma, Thailand, etc. There are many dog-meat and dog-soup restaurants that would be glad to get them! (NO, I do NOT consume that sort of thing, but certainly defend those who wish to do so!)
E K, a truly disgusting remark. Might I assume you are there at that shelter and know, first hand, that those animals are filthy? Considering your next remark regarding dog-hair filled homes which smell of dog I'm sure you can't possibly understand that sometimes dogs, who are owned by loving, caring people who cherish them and keep them well groomed do. at times, get loose or are dognapped. As far as the smell, do you have children? How about dirty diapers? Do they smell like ambrosia to you? To some people their pets are their children and are treated with the love and respect they so deserve. That's how it is with us and our 4 little kitty girls, all strays we've taken in over the years. Too long a story to tell but our utmost favorite of the three is wise way beyond what we thought possible for a kitty. Thanks to her, one huge problem in our family that could have caused the death of my husband was resolved. I feel truly sorry for you that you obviously have never loved or been loved by an animal. You have no clue what you are missing.
Allie, Trying to convince EKK about the goodness in animals is like talking to a dead person. As you can tell by their post this person has no compassion or empathy in their heart for God's other creatures. This person sounds like a coldhearted, selfish, ignorant, and unconpassionate monster. They will never, ever get it!!! So sad for them:(
I thought they ate them there...
The article said that as many as 80,000 dogs will be euthanized in a year in Taiwan. Folks, millions of dogs and cats are killed every year in U.S. shelters not to mention the ones that die on the streets or from abuse/neglect. For a nation that is supposed to be so wealthy and so compassionate, we do a pretty crappy job of humanely caring for each other much less the animals of this country. Spay/neuter is one solution, but so isn't banning ownership for people who do not take care of their pets.
Back in the early 70's there was a top 10 song. The words within the song were: Bless the Beast and the Children for in this world they have no voice, they have no choice. You can feel the words of this song everyday watching the news of our worlds uncaring population. I have completed TNR for the feral cats within my area. No more kittens to be surrendered to overpopulated shelters were so many are put to sleep already. The feral cats live out their lives with all shots necessary to keep them healthy and human caretakers. Just wish there was TNR for dogs. I have a shelter dog, would never consider another option.
Everyone! Adopt a dog from a shelter. They will love, respect and thank you for the rest of their lives.
This is ridiculous.MSNBC must have X amount of pages to fill out.Folks,we all love animals[almost all].This reminds me of an SNL skit w Kevin Nealon they had.He was an interviewer who didn't stop until he had his guest in tears,then he would grin at the camera.This photog is making a living having stumbled on a nerve.He has nerve all right.Get over it.Love your pets AND PEOPLE,take care of them,help as you can,help your neighbors.Wipe the snot and get back to work.Let this guys' shtick work in taiwan,we have plenty of SH** here.
This is so sad and I think Tou Chih-Kang is wonderful for starting such a campaign. Those dogs are beautiful and should not be exploited the way they are. When are people going to wake up and start adopting pets instead of purchasing them? And furthermore, if the government would get involved, and forbid puppy mills and pet shops, then we wouldn't be spending hundreds of thousands of dollars of government money on city run shelters. This would help save money and lives.
This breaks my heart. I adopted a shelter dog and he is the best. PLEASE everyone consider a shelter or rescue dog if you are considering adding this wonderful addition to your life!