27-04-2025
Unimas, SSPCA, SOS unite to tackle campus stray issues
Dona (third right) presents a token of appreciation to Wee (centre) during the Pet Walk 2025 event, witnessed by Jee (third left) and other invited guests. – Photo by Jude Toyat
KUCHING (April 27): The Sarawak Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) and Save Our Strays (SOS) will partner with Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) in May to address the issue of stray animals on its campus through an awareness and control initiative.
SSPCA president Datin Dona Drury-Wee said that the initiative will focus on raising awareness about the proper care of campus strays.
A key component of the collaboration is the implementation of a Capture, Neuter, Vaccinate and Return (CNVR) programme aimed at managing and curbing the stray animal population within Unimas grounds.
'In the next month SSPCA and SOS will also start our work with Unimas to create greater awareness about the care for their campus strays, as well as a Capture, Neuter, Vaccinate and Return programme (CNVR) to curb the growth of the stray population there,' she said in her speech during the Pet Walk 2025 event at the Kuching South City Council (MBKS) foyer here today.
Dona emphasised that events like The Pet Walk are not only fun and memorable, but also highlight the importance of responsible pet ownership, compassion, and community engagement.
'We are holding this in the month of April to commemorate World Stray Animal Day, and we would like to remind members of the public that stray animals do not ask to be abandoned and left on the streets, it is our human responsibility to ensure that all animals are taken care of.
'If you do not wish to have an uncontrollable number of pets, then you must neuter or spay your animals to prevent unwanted litters,' she stressed.
She also highlighted SSPCA's ongoing efforts in supporting the 'One Health' approach, which focuses on the interconnected health of people, animals, and the environment, especially in combating rabies.
'We all work together on the principal of One Health, to eradicate rabies and achieve the global target of zero human deaths by 2030.
'Remember, by protecting your pets through vaccination, you are also protecting your family and neighbours from rabies,' she said.
The Pet Walk 2025 saw more than 800 participants and over 150 pets joining the event, which was co-organised with Pertubuhan Komuniti Progresif Kuching (PKPK).
Dona expressed her gratitude to all participants, volunteers, sponsors, and supporters who contributed to the event's success.
'Together, we are making a difference — one pawprint at a time,' she added.
The event was officiated by Kuching South Mayor Datuk Wee Hong and attended by PKPK chairman and organising chairman Ryan Jee, DVSS deputy director Dr Nicholas Jenek and Boehringer Ingelheim Malaysia technical manager Dr Eddie Tan, as well as local media fraternity and other pet lovers.
