Working at an animal shelter is an extremely difficult job. Although it certainly is rewarding, the job come into contact with tons of exhausting obstacles.
In fact, getting a job like this is hard in the first place, as it requires one to pass years and years of medical school. There’s no denying that if someone has decided to go through all that, they must be dedicated to the job and truly want to help animals everywhere. Don’t you agree?
Jian Zhicheng, director and veterinary doctor of the Xinwu Animal Protection and Education Centre in Taiwan, was one person who fits that description. She worked hard to send pups to new, loving homes, but her shelter still faced the problem of overcrowding.
The shelter was not allowed to refuse to take in new fur balls, and it had to maintain a good standard of living for them, so Jian had no choice but to euthanize pups when they ran out of space. She was forced to put down 700 pups in just two years, which must have weighed heavily on her conscience.
If the pain of her job requirements weren’t enough, Jian began receiving threats from animal rights activists. She earned the name “butcher with beauty” among them, even though she hadn’t had a choice in doing something she must have hated doing. The sadness and hurt eventually became too much for her to handle, and she took her own life.
While animal rights is a very serious issue, it should be recognized that most animal shelter directors are not the enemy. They are simply doing the best they can, and fighting and name-calling will not get the pups in the shelters anywhere.
Rest in peace, Jian Zhicheng. Your contributions will be remembered. SHARE this story with your friends too.
Feature Image Source: CEN