I took Big-Eared Tu (the stray that I found a few weeks ago) to the vet today for a check-up and it turns out that she has a chip and an owner. I
Answered my own question. For those curious, here is the website for the pet registration system. There is a link for reporting lost dogs.
Weird. You know some people favor chipping their children to “protect them.”
I can’t read your Chinese website, but keep us posted on whether you or the vet reports Tu to the owner, what the owner says, and what eventually happens to Tu.
If the previous owner cared enough to get the dog spayed and put in a chip (total cost NT$2-3,000), I doubt that they would abandon it. Possible, but not probable. So I think you should actively attempt to return the dog to its previous owner. They might even give you a reward. I would find out the person’s address and monitor the dog’s situation for a while.
Could you post a photo of the dog? It might match with one of those missing dog ads one sees in vets’ windows.
A replacement canine companion for yourself can be found all too easily. I have six dogs at the moment - you might take one or two off my hands! And someone who lives near me has no less than 40 rescued dogs in her home, plus cats.
I have considered that, but Taiwan is a different place when it comes to pets as you know.
I will call the owner. I researched the website I posted above and found that the owner has reported the dog missing. That scores points in my book.
Funny thing is that the vet wrote down the wrong number for the owner this morning when he looked up the pet registration system. So, lucky for the owner I looked for this website b/c I found her correct number (bad for me though!).
Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind. It’s hard right now b/c I have become quite attached to Tu. She’s such a sweet pooch!! 
Smerf, sorry to hear that. I hope it will be a happy ending for the dog. I do wonder why it never went back to the owners, though. Strange. My dogs run off all the time (we live in the mountains, with no cars and big fields) and they always come back, either when I call them or when they finish exploring / rolling in something disgusting. We lost Chocolate when he ran off at about 3 mths of age and having been with us a few weeks, and he managed to find his way to my car, where he sat waiting for us - scared, but OK.
My point is, do happy dogs run away? I don’t know. Does anyone else? Also, Eric found a dog that was snipped and chipped, and that was deliberately abandoned, so that’s no indicator. (I just realised you said the owner reported it missing).
Juba, did you say forty dogs??? 
That’s amazing! Bless her!
Anyway, I have a pregnant bitch to atend to. See you all on Sunday, I hope. You’ve all been quiet on our thread!
Cheers!
Sean
Smerf, sorry I couldn’t reply earlier to your post.
You should really be commended for all that you have done and have been doing :bravo: . The main thing that concerns me with this stuff is responsibility. Like Stray Dog said, we have encountered abondoned dogs which were chipped, spayed or both, plus it is not uncommon for some dogs to get tossed about from one owner to another.
I hope that wasn’t the case for big-eared Tu, but if you have any concerns as to whether or not this dog was being neglected or in improper care, by all means make every effort to find out what the story is. The fact that it was reported missing is a positive sign in the sense that it wasn’t trashed, but based on your observations and the conflicting ID info from the vet, it still sounds mysterious. Either way, let’s hope it turns out for the best. Keep us posted.
While we might have every reason to feel suspicious, the point is that Tu’s owner HAS reported her missing, HAS gone to the trouble of having her spayed and HAS put a chip in her ear – we really don’t have the right to decide who can have their pet returned to them and who can’t in a situation like this when there is no evidence of abuse or even neglect – that’s WHY the chips are there – Tu ISN’T Smerf’s dog, however attached she has become to her.
There could be a family, maybe with children, who cry every night that their dog is missing – how would WE all feel? – so why is everyone so quick to assume there MUST be some foul play somewhere?
What’s the point of trying to educate people to be responsible for their animals, when even if they DO get them chipped, a bunch of foreigners of Forumosa might decide they can’t have their dog back? :s
I hope Smerf will contact the owner immediately, like she says, and ignores Eric and Stray Dog, who are a little quick to assume EVERYONE is bad! 
If they’re good people (which they probably are), they will surely let you visit Tu and maybe even let you walk her until you find a dog of your own.
Taking the law into your own hands is a dangerous precedent when you’re trying to get an organization off the ground – Tu’s owner has complied with the law; don’t make them regret it.
Magnolia, take it easy. I agree to contact the owner and find out what happened. I’m not asking anyone to keep someone else’s dog. Sheesh!
Eric, OK, so on a re-read it’s a little harsh, even with the – apologies!
However, my point still stands that if you are going to be suspicious of owners who neuter, chip and report their dogs missing (everything that the new group WANTS people to do, in fact), then it’s going to be a VERY long night indeed.
Peace.
Magnolia, no problem. Maybe I gave the wrong impression with my post. I have an engineering background so I come from the angle of no room for doubts and safety first…sorry! The big plus factor is that the dog was reported missing… that trumps chips, spaying, collar, ID, tattoo or whatever else in my book…because…um, nevermind.
Surely we are all on the same page about this stuff.
I think we’re on the same page, Eric, more or less!
I’m just a little concerned that seeing as Smerf has fallen for Tu, your and Stray Dog’s comments might make her less inclined to contact Tu’s owner. If I were in her position, the thought that I might be returning a dog that I had bonded with to a bad home would make me think twice.
And Smerf, I don’t know you, so I’m sorry if it seems I’m suggesting you must be soppy and irrational (not that that’s ALWAYS bad!)
Hope it all turns out well! 
I totally agree with Magnolia on this. What’s the point of the government promoting spaying, chipping, reporting, etc. if it’s perceived by the public as not working?
And I’m guessing here, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the vet hasn’t already contacted the owners about the dog.
Smerf, the dog isn’t yours. Give it back, get over it, and look for an abandoned pup or pick one up from the pound.
I remember a year or two back when Maoman found a stray sharpei that looked pretty beat-up. He took it to the vet, who found a chip. They contacted the owner, who AFAIR was a little kid that was overjoyed to get his lost pet back.
Much as I hate to say it, Magnolia is right. :bravo:
But before YOU go jumping the gun, my stilettoed friend, where did Eric or I say that he shouldn’t take the dog back? :loco:
Eric suggested finding out more (the best advice, I feel), and I just raised a few questions. 
But, of course, in essence, you are correct and I was wrong. :fume:
Now back off, before I get you spayed and neutered. :raspberry:
I guess I should check to see if my latest bitch is chipped - never actually thought about it. I think we can take it for granted that she’s not spayed, though. 
(And mine’s a cohiba esplendido, thanks very much!)
I think we all agree on this, basically.
Yes you should have the bitch checked for a chip, and please also consider terminating the pregnancy. I was dissuaded last time and I can’t tell you how much I regret that decision.
Thanks for the tip, Juba. I wanted to ask you about that. Do you know if terminating at this stage would cause the dog any trauma? I agree that to terminate could be the best option, but I worry how it will affect the mother.
She’s a very sweet girl (with a limp), and I’m sure I can find a home for her once she’s free of ‘baggage’.
Well, I called Big-Eared Tu’s owner on Sunday and found out that the dog belongs to a family with a 12 y/o girl who has been quite sad since Tu was lost. The family lives near my home on the other side of Chung Hsiao East Rd. Sec. 5. We met in front of the New York New York Department Store on Chung Hsiao and I brought the mom and daughter to my home to pick up Tu. They were very happy to see Tu and Tu seemed happy to see them again so everything worked out fine. The mom offered me a hung bao for my trouble, but I declined and told her to buy Tu a new toy as a welcome home gift. And with that, the three of them were gone.
I appreciate everyone’s response, but I always intended to call the owner. I simply wanted to avail myself of all the facts concerning the chip system so that I could figure out whether the dog was lost or abandoned. Given the fact that the family reported the dog missing, it was clear that they wanted Tu back and that’s all I wanted to know. Tu is not my dog, but I felt a duty to insure that she was in a healthy situation. Everyone came out happy.
BTW, magnolia, smerf is a he.
What a lovely happy ending! The girl must have been overjoyed! :bravo:
And apologies for the gender confusion, Smerf! 
I guess it depends how late in the pregnancy it is. I took Feifei for a combined abortion/spaying quite late in the pregnancy (by force of circumstance.) She behaved as if she had given birth and was looking for her puppies. She took interest in a teddy bear and I gave it to her to carry around. After a few days, she lost interest in it. So, yes, you could say there is a bit of trauma, but consider that if she has the litter she will have to be parted from the puppies one by one and that is probably a bit traumatic, too. Also some puppies may be stillborn, there could be complications for the mother etc. etc. I mean the disadvantages of terminating are nothing compared to those of having a litter. Obviously, the earlier you get an abortion done, the better. To save you beating around the bush - Wanguo vet clinic just south of the Grand Mosque, across Xinsheng South Road from Da’an Park, will do it. Cost about NT$3,000, plus puppy cremation fee if it is near term.
Smerf: Great ending. You have also done all us expats a favor. Those people will be telling their friends: “Hey, foreigners are really nice. One of them saved my dog.” :bravo:
Thanks, Juba.
She had an ultrasound last night, and no pups to be found. Maybe a false pregnancy or she had pups recently. None near where we found her.
She’s being spayed as we speak and will stay with me to recouperate. After that, she’ll be up for adoption. Will post pics soon.
Cheers!