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A Brief Introduction of the Life Conservationist Association

    •Background of the foundation
    •The objectives
    •Why promoting animal rights
    •What kind of animals should be cared for
    •Specific working policies
    •Main achievements in the past years

Background of the foundation

 In the early 1992, a brutal leisure game called "fish hooking" was introduced among the people in Taiwan. A fishhook without any bait is used to hook live fish in a captive pond and causing extensive bruises and cuts all over the fish. Numerous "Fish Hooking Ponds" were sprung out for leisure fun in no time. In order to stop such a social malady on animal cruelty, Master Shih Chao-Fei (the Founding President of the Association) then invited many social elite to initiate an "Anti-Fish Hooking Movement". Supported by all walks of lives, Mr. Hao Po-Chun, the Premier of the Executive Yuan at that time reacted to this public opinion by instructing government of various levels to clamp down the fish hooking businesses. It was because of the social pressure from every public voice that the fish hooking unrest was eventually suppressed.

 Because of this incident, many of the participants in the movement were deeply convinced that people in Taiwan did not respect life, and they have unmindfully tortured lives for a long time resulting in a take it for granted attitude. Such a phenomenon would be impossible to witness an overall improvement by a single news upsurge. There was a need for dedicated people to establish an official organization and to train, promote, and supervise systemically over an extended period, so that the idea of "protect the animals and care for life" would be rooted deeply in the hearts of the people. After many meetings and discussions of the enthusiastic people, the Republic of China Life Conservationist Association was then founded officially in January 1993.

The Objectives

 To care for the animals is a starting point to care for life.

 Based on the belief that "All Living Creatures Are Equal", the animal rights should be advocated, the animal welfare is to be endeavored, and the objectives of conserving wild animals and maintaining ecological balance are to be achieved. Various appropriate actions through legislation and education are taken in order to save animals from tragic destiny such as captivity, torture, abandonment, injury, brutal killing and extermination. This will enable the "individual life" of each animal would possess at least its own life dignity and living right.

Why promoting animal rights

 The human beings share with other animals the same earth. We rely mutually on each other like lips to teeth. There is no any species that could survive totally on their own. Mankind should not be possessed with such a superior "anthropocentrism". Moreover, different communities will strive for the rights and interests of the human beings. Animals however, are the minorities of the minorities that are both dumb and unable to vote.

 Consequently, "to care for the animals and to care for life as a starting point" would cultivate the mankind to learn how to treat other animals' lives and welfare in equality. In fact it is the promotion of a more popular and in-depth social morality for the entire human community.

 The liberation of the animals is indeed the emancipation of the human beings from the prejudice of "Species Discrimination".

What kind of animals should be cared for

Wild animals - those animals that survive in their primary habitat with natural environment

Economy animals - those animals with economic interests that are raised and slaughtered

Companion animals - those animals that are kept and adopted to accompany human being

Experimental animals - those animals that are raised and adopted for scientific research purposes

Specific working policies

1. Wild animals:

 (1) To supervise the implementation of wild animals conservation laws

 (2) To endeavor for the preservation and protection of wild animals habitat

 (3) Educational and promotional activities on "No Business Transaction, No Killing", and "Refuse to Eat, Refuse to Buy, and Refuse to Adopt" for wild animals.

2. Economic animals

 (1) To supervise the implementation of animals protection laws

 (2) To intensify the improvement on farm animals welfare

 (3) To appeal to the consumers to change their dietary habit such as to consume less meat or vegetarian meals

3. Companion animals

 (1) To promote the "Three No" policies of "No abandonment, No Torture, and No Killing of the Companion Animals".

 (2) The objection of Euthanasia and the promotion of the "Three Breeding" policies of "Adopting, Hospice and Appropriate Care of the stray animals.

 (3) To conduct research and development of vegetarian animal feed for pet animals.

4. Experimental animals

 (1) To encourage digital dissection program to replace live animals experiments

 (2) To lobby proper legislation to ban insignificant and brutal animal experiments

 (3) To press the experimental animal ethical committee to leverage their supervisory duties

5. Education and promotion

 (1) Publication of the quarterly Animals' Voice of Taiwan.

 (2) Publications of books, video tapes, cards, manuals and posters.

 (3) Construction of the website with regular electronic newspaper

 (4) Delivery public speeches at schools and teachers' seminar. Assisting teachers and students to establish animal protection communities.

 (5) To conduct seminar and training camps.

Main achievements in the past years

1992 Prohibition of the ruthless "fish hooking" activities.

1993 The formation of Ecology Preservation Alliance with 15 preservation
   organizations.

   Conducted 28 social education seminar on Animal Rights.

   Protest on the "Spring Chicken Catch" event during the cultural season
   at the Tainan Goddess of Mercy Temple.

1994 Initiated the national movement of "Reject eating, reject buying and
   reject breeding" by saving wild animals under conservation.

   Promoting the three readings and adoption of the private version of the
   Wild Animals Conservation Laws.

1995 To initiate the Animal Care Day event with six other organizations.

   To conduct press meeting on the truth of the "Real Horse Race
   Gambling with Disguised Charity" by stopping successfully the
   legalization of the horse racing game.

   Joint protest with twenty plus conservation organizations on the
   European Circus Show introduced by the Hsin Hsiang Foundation.

1996 Publication of the classic animal book, Animal Liberation.

   Launching of the two programs "Let the Pain Stops - Stray Dogs
   Sterilization" and "A Happy Rendezvous After the Suffering - Stray
   Dogs Adoption" jointly collaborated with 75 veterinarian clinics.

   Protest to the Taipei county government on the forced demolishing of
   the stray dog pound under the Fu Ho Bridge. Reached an agreement
   with the county government for the dog shelter.

   ACAP Taiwan In Partnership with the Life Conservationist Association
   -- First launch November '96

1997 Conducted an island wide research on the public stray dog shelters and
   convened a press meeting on "Mourning to the Dogs - Survey Report
   on the Current Status of the Stray Dogs Pounds and Shelters in
   Taiwan".

   Joint promotion with the Taipei City Government and International
   Rotary Club to advocate "1997 Taipei City Government Care for the
   Companion Animals Activities".

   Held a press meeting and the nation wide subscription movement to
   "Urge for Humane Treatment on the Foot and Mouth Infected Pigs".

   A series of movements focused on the re-introduction of the US Circus
   Show by the Hsin Hsiang Foundation action with all parties concerned
   to reject watch the circus and to disclose the real situation of the circus.

1998 Launching of a two-month training course on ecology and animal
   protection by the Animal Classroom.

   Assistance provided to the 21 animal protection organizations to
   establish the National Alliance in Promoting Animal Protection
   Legislation. The said Animal Protection Laws were legislated after the
   three readings at the end of the year. Taiwan became the 54th country
   in the world to formulate the Animal Protection Laws.

   Completion of the Survey Report of the Polar Bear Re-contributed by
   the Zurich Zoo of Switzerland; a reconciliation of the destined Polar
   Bear delivered to Taiwan.

   Organization of the National Alliance on Rescuing the Chinese
   Cypress at Chilan by deploying national subscription and Thousand
   People Parade.

1999 Publication of the New Era of Animals - a collection of poems by
   Professor Chian Lung Lin - the first ever animal poetry in the literature
   history of Taiwan.

   Circulation of the educational film Share The World produced by
   PETA with the aim to promote harmonious relationship between
   animals and human beings.

2000 Organized the "Dog Adoption with Affection" event during the
   Buddha's Birthday bazaar at the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall on
   May 14. Twenty-two counties and cities supported the event by not
   catching nor killing any stray dogs two weeks before and after the
   adoption.

   To carry out the Saving Stray Dogs Movement from the Animal
   Quarantine Bureau. The public voice has forced the Taipei Animal
   Quarantine Office to withdraw the killing instruction.

2001 Campaigning of "against masks on large-sized dogs", push Council of
   Agriculture ahead to modify relevant legislation.

   Published "Animal welfare and consumer guide book- pork section",
   which is the 1st professional farm animal welfare writing.

2002 A survey on the animal welfare on the animals at the Hsin Chu City
   Zoo, pushed zoo management enhance their captive animal welfare.

   To organize the Anti-legalized Gambling Alliance in order to boycott
   offshore island casino.

   Joint collaboration with the international Wildaid in the Education and
   Promotion of Sharks Conservation Program.

   Established the Experimental Animals Study Team.

2003 Impel Education Department to modify the curriculum code of senior
   high school biology course, especially remove animal experiment part
   from required course to optional course.

   Campaigning of "against live-animal web-bidding", constrain Yahoo
   Bid and PetCo to stop bidding animals on web bases.

   Conduct " The Truth of Euthanasia" press conference, dilate film of
   how public animal shelter euthanize stray animals, appeal COA to take
   legation as major policy of stray animals' population control.

   English version of LCA press "Caring for Animals"(小白阿花何處去)
   was published by WSPA.

   Collaborate with Thailand "Fa-Shen Vihara" to publish Thai version of
   "Crying of Live".

2004 Impel Hi-Scene World Enterprise CO.LTD to remove the "shark
   exhibition" from Chin- Xei stop of the 3rd freeway.

   Conduct press conference with backbencher Gian-Min Chen, against
   COA's plan of "game hunting activity in Dan-Da area" and the
   promotion of game hunting tour. 06/01/2005 continually conduct
   another protest of this activity in COA with other conservation
   institutions, finally responsed by COA that the game hunting project in
   Dan-DA area will be ceased.

   Conduct a ban on "pet trading determining contract" of COA, conduct
   press conference with backbencher Gian-Min Chen to against the
   unequalized condition toward companion animals. COA soon agreed
   will conduct an evaluation meeting six months later to modify the
   contract.

   Conduct press conference to persuade that religion should not be an
   excuse for not enforce animal protection law.

   Conduct press conference with backbencher Gian-Min Chen, accuse
   some veggie company produced meat-mixed Lenten fare.

   Host a conference of "2004 University animal protection club
   management".

   Host "2004 Junior leadership of Animal Protection" with animal guard
   angels from Sep. to Dec.

   Issued 53 e-newsletters per year, totally 18200 subscribers and hence
   has the greatest circulation among all the animal right e-newsletters.

2005 Publication of the classic ethics book, Deep Vegetarianism.

   Promote "An vege meal A day" activity.

   Host the 1st conference of Applied Ethics, invite "Deep
   Vegetarianism" author Prof. Fox giving speech in Taiwan.

   Resist to visit Kaohsiung City Zoo as zoo has no response on their
   captive wildlife welfare improvement.


Life Conservationist Association
 No. 16, Alley 5, Lane 289,
 Chuang-Ching Rd., Taipei 110,
 Taiwan, R.O.C.
 Tel:886-2-87800838
 Fax:886-2-87800840
 lcatwn@ms15.hinet.net