Stray dog tapped as ‘Garden Director’ at museum in SW Taiwan

流浪犬在台灣西南部博物館被選為“園長”

New director will assist with security, assorted tasks

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A stray dog that formerly roamed the Tainan Shan-Shang Garden and Old Waterworks Museum (台南山上花園水道博物館) officially became the museum's “Garden Director” (園長) in a ceremony on Sunday (March 29).

Pets are normally forbidden from the museum premises, said Yeh Tse-shan (葉澤山), director-general of the Tainan Cultural Affairs Bureau. Stray dogs occasionally sneak through the fences and get chased away, but this particular yellow mixed-breed kept coming back, according to CNA.

While the museum has received some complaints from visitors about the “Garden Director," he also has many admirers, Yeh added. The decision to take him in was the result of a Facebook poll, which worked out so well that they used the same method to outsource the choosing of his title.

Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) bestowed a cloak embroidered with the words “Garden Director” on the newly-minted employee at Sunday’s inauguration ceremony. The mayor praised the beauty of the museum and suggested this is why the "Garden Director" sought employment there.

He went on to say that he hopes the dog will keep watch over the museum in addition to whatever he gets up to in the garden. Since he is now a member of the city government, he will be subject to a yearly performance review that may yield him better treats.