Rescuing Romeo, the Roaming Two-Footed Stray Dog

On April 30th, what started as a routine day for our team at Animal Care Trust turned into an unforgettable rescue mission. We had taken our rescue vehicle for an oil change and new tyres but needed to check a humane trap we had set for another stray, Pirate. We headed out in our family car, hoping to see the snare-maimed stray safely inside our trap.

An Unexpected and Shocking Encounter

As we sat in the car, hiding from the rain, waiting for Pirate to show up, we noticed a white-and-black stray dog hobbling towards us. This dog, who we later named Romeo, had a missing front-right foot and a recently amputated back-right leg, both likely due to snares, which plague the Taiwanese countryside and mountains and maim countless stray dogs and other animals every year. Despite his severe disability, Romeo still managed to move around, searching for food in the rain, and staying away from passersby.

The First Attempt

We couldn’t simply grab Romeo; he was wary, like most semi-feral strays in Taiwan. We observed his behaviour, wanting to discover where he ate and slept. But, when he noticed us following him, he disappeared into the jungle. We raced to pick up our rescue vehicle and returned, setting up a humane trap and searching late into the night, but Romeo had vanished.

The Community Rallies

A post about Romeo attracted much attention, and a commenter revealed that she had actually rescued him months earlier. He had escaped from his foster home after surgery, and many had been searching for him. His mobility despite his injuries was astonishing, with sightings reported up to 14 kilometres apart. He was quite the roaming Romeo, and was clearly not letting his injuries tie him down. We had to admire his spirit.

Extending the Search

We extended our search area several times, each time incorporating or focusing on where he was most recently spotted. May 4th, Romeo was spotted near one of our sanctuaries but still remained elusive. On May 11th, a car cam captured him running near our founders’ community. Guards said he had been in the area for a few days. So we set up traps and cameras with restored hope that we might finally catch him before he comes to more harm—but Romeo continued to avoid capture.

Our Romeo Finds His Juliet

On May 17th, we received a photo of Romeo playing with a female stray, who we later named Juliet, on a mountain road not too far away but in a very trap-heavy area. Knowing the danger, we acted fast, heading to the location immediately. We observed Romeo and Juliet napping in a safe spot, and we set up a humane trap. Juliet was not so wary and quickly caught, but Romeo remained free, now alone. We decided to take Juliet in, to keep her from accidentally getting in the way of her boyfriend’s rescue.

Persistent Efforts

For two more days, we monitored Romeo’s activities, trying to lure him into our trap without spooking him. He continued to evade capture, always alert to our presence, and we realised he might soon leave the area to look for another spot to settle for a while. This would delay his rescue even further, so we now worked from pre-dawn to late at night, learning his movements, narrowing down his sleeping spots. Despite multiple close encounters, he eluded us, waking at the slightest noise.

The Final Push

On May 20th, the original rescuer, Miss Wu, joined us with a blowpipe. We set up a bait spot near her car, which she hid inside, but Romeo was not interested, suddenly running off down the road. We tracked him with our thermal-imaging search-and-rescue drone and were dismayed to see him filling his belly with cat food, which he had heard a kind feeder putting down. So we resorted to plan B: darting him from a moving vehicle. Miss Wu jumped into the passenger seat of our rescue vehicle, and we headed to the spot where our drone had picked up Romeo resting in grass very close to the road.

And she got him!

But after a tense chase and thorough search using thermal-imaging cameras, we lost him! With limited time before the tranquilliser would wear off and darkness would fall, we knew we had to find him quickly. But a search of the grove where we always saw him resting turned up nothing. So where could he be? Our surveillance over the previous days gave us a clue: Romeo was often seen walking into a smallholding, but whenever we followed the path in, we could never find his resting spot. So now we had to quickly look again, but now knowing to try areas not previously explored.

Wherefore Art Thou, Romeo?

Our rescue team and Miss Wu ran into the small family farm, but this time not wasting time searching in the areas we were sure he doesn’t go to. A small trail led down a slope and into a small bamboo grove. It was a place we had never looked in before, and we just hoped upon hope that this might be the path he would have taken. So we slowly walked down, scanning the visible land in front of us for any sign of the elusive dog.

We didn’t have to go far. There, lying motionless except for some slow, shallow breathing, a familiar white-and-black body came into view. It was our Romeo, who had obviously succumbed to the tranquilliser and was now sound asleep at the edge of the bamboo grove. We carefully picked him up and carried him out of the smallholding. Miss Wu was visibly moved and relieved that he was finally safe from further injury and the risk of losing another limb on this snare-plagued mountain.

A New Beginning

Our three-week mission culminated in Romeo’s safe capture thanks to some great teamwork, a lot of determination and vigilance, and a little bit of luck. The two-footed wonder spent the night at our founders’ home, recovering from the effects of the tranquilliser under their watchful eye. Romeo will be thoroughly examined by a vet before starting his new life at our beautiful new sanctuary, The ARK. And we’re very much looking forward to getting to know him better and seeing if he might be suited to adoption.

How You Can Help Dogs Like Romeo

Romeo’s story underscores the importance of ACT’s tireless work rescuing, treating, and caring for the suffering strays of Taiwan. We rely on your support to continue rescuing dogs—and other animals—like him. Please consider making a donation to help us provide medical care, shelter, and a second chance at life for more strays in Taiwan. Whether your gift is big or small, one-off or monthly, it will truly help make a difference to so many suffering strays.

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