Hello there!
After two and a half years of endless hours each day of cleaning up dog poop, chasing animals through jungle and back alleys, driving incessantly, getting bitten and scratched, burying good friends, and trapping cats throughout the nights, I am finally taking a short (two-week) holiday to recharge my batteries.
While representing Animals Taiwan at the Asia for Animals conference in Singapore a couple of years ago (kindly sponsored by you lovely Forumosans), I was lucky enough to meet some lovely people who run PhaNgan Animal Care. Involved in much the same work, we got on like a kennel on fire, and I was invited to pay a visit whenever I had the chance. Well, that time has come, and I would love to take a busman’s holiday helping out at PhaNgan Animal Care and learning how they manage to do things so well there. But, to do that, I need to find cover while I’m away.
If you can help this tired old man to take a much needed break in a very relaxing part of the world whilst also helping a few needy animals in the process, I would greatly appreciate it. I leave the evening of June 19th (Tue) and rturn the evening of July 2nd (Mon). The evenings should be covered by the lovely ladies at Raw Animals Taiwan and two of our wonderful key members (who I haven’t approached yet). What I need most are people to come and help out at the holding centre during the daytimes, 10 am to 4 pm roughly. We have a lovely member of staff, Rita, who will be working most of the days, but I couldn’t relax knowing that she would be stuck on her own on most days, so it’s essential I have volunteers to help her every day during those two weeks.
The work is not easy. It’s hot, sticky, smelly, and frustrating at times. The dogs need feeding, washing, and walking; the rooms need cleaning; and there are plenty of odd jobs that have been forever awaiting my attention. Occasionally, an animal will need to be taken to the vet, and maybe a rescue or two may need to be attempted. Certainly, it would be great if we had someone to drive on most days.
I’m sure there’s a lot more I need to explain, but I’ll do that later, as I have to go and CNR some cats in the ShiDa area now. I’ll add more as I remember it.
Please, if you can help, you’ll find it to be the most rewarding way you could spend your spare time. It helps the dogs and cats in our care, it helps the wonderful Rita, and it helps me (and the people and animals at PhaNgan Animal Care). Let me know when you might be available. All I ask, for Rita’s sake mostly, is that, if you say you will come at a certain time, you stick to it, as our plans throughout the day will depend on knowing others will be coming to help.
If you enjoy the experience (and I’m sure you will), you might just like to help out more often, and we would gladly welcome you to the Animals Taiwan team.
I plan to come back from this trip refreshed and revitalized and armed with all the knowledge and experience I need to take Animals Taiwan into the next phase of its growth, and continue our mission to make a difference to the lives of the vast number of needy animals on this island. Thank you for helping me do that.
Feel free to call me for more information: 0920 620 109. Or, drop me an email and I’ll send you more details as well as a schedule of when you could help: sean [at] animalstaiwan [dot] org.
In anticipation: Thank you, thank you, thank you! 
Sean McCormack
Founder and Rescue Manager
www.AnimalsTaiwan.org
