Latest news with #straydogs
Malay Mail
25-05-2025
- Malay Mail
As Kuching fights rabies, mayor reminds advocates ‘I totally get your love for animals, but human lives are equally precious'
Kuching mayor tells animals lovers to 'love and protect' them, but follow law on stray control KUCHING, May 25 — Kuching South Mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng has appealed to animal lovers, both individuals and organisations, to comply with existing legal provisions when addressing issues related to stray dogs. He emphasised that animal lovers should not interfere with enforcement officers carrying out their duties. 'Do abide by our laws and do not get in the way of our enforcement. This is to help bring down the risk of rabies infections so as to ensure the safety of all,' he said during his Facebook live session 'Shall WEE Talk' yesterday. Wee shared a recent incident where Kuching South City Council (MBKS) enforcement officers responded to a public complaint about a stray dog in a residential area. However, when the MBKS team arrived at the site and prepared to take the necessary action, a group of individuals intervened, preventing enforcement officers from carrying out their duties. '(As a result,) our enforcement team had little choice but to leave without taking any action,' he said. Wee reiterated the importance of responsible pet ownership, reminding pet owners to keep their dogs within their resident compounds and not allow them road freely. 'If you stand to protect and love animals, you of all people should comply with the laws. If you intend to take good care of animals, you should find them a proper place rather than allowing them to roam freely, which may cause anxiety to the community,' he said. Wee said he could understand the need to protect stray animals but emphasised the city council's obligation to safeguard the public from potential risks. Wee admitted to facing a dilemma – if enforcement officers did not take action, complainants would fear for their safety, but when measures were enforced, certain individuals would step forward to obstruct the process. 'I have nothing against animal protection. What I do believe is that these animals should be properly kept at home or a designated place.' He further emphasised that the authorities act with empathy when addressing rabies-related issues, noting that organising mass anti-rabies vaccination campaigns is one such initiative aimed at reaching out to the community, particularly pet owners. Wee regretted that rabies cases persist despite continuous efforts to contain the deadly disease. 'I totally get your love for animals. We all love animals. However, human lives are equally precious.' Over the past week, Wee noted that two rabies cases had been reported near SJK(C) Batu Kawa and a retail outlet in Mile 10, both involving stray dogs. He urged the community to remain vigilant with the Gawai festive season approaching. 'Be more alert when you're hanging out and pay attention to your environment. Public safety and welfare are our utmost concern,' he said. — The Borneo Post
Free Malaysia Today
23-05-2025
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
Penang reviewing land issue threatening future of 4PAWS shelter, says exco
The Penang Animal Welfare Society is home to over 700 stray and abandoned dogs from the island and mainland. (4PAWS Penang @ Facebook pic) GEORGE TOWN : The Penang government is reviewing concerns raised by Persatuan Haiwan Terbiar Malaysia (SAFM) over land issues that threaten the future of the Penang Animal Welfare Society (4PAWS) shelter in Teluk Bahang. State local government, town and country planning committee chairman H'ng Mooi Lye said while no decision has been made yet, the land currently occupied by 4PAWS is under lease until 2030. The organisation is currently working to raise funds to purchase the site. 'In February and March, 4PAWS, through its manager Yan Naung Thet, also known as Murugan, approached the state government and the Penang Island City Council to seek aid to extend his stay in Malaysia, allowing him to continue volunteering at the shelter. 'At that time, 4PAWS founder Barbara Janssen was unwell, and discussions centred solely on ensuring continuity of shelter operations, not on the lease issue,' Bernama quoted him as saying. H'ng was responding to SAFM's call for the state government to intervene and help resolve the land dispute affecting the shelter Earlier, Murugan told FMT that the shelter houses more than 700 dogs from all over Penang island as well as from the mainland. Many are sick or hurt from accidents, or were abandoned or dumped by their owners. The organisation has been given until the end of this month to decide whether it can purchase the land at the price of RM2.2 million. SAFM has appealed to chief minister Chow Kon Yeow to urgently allocate permanent land to ensure the shelter's continued operations. H'ng said 4PAWS is a non-governmental organisation providing sanctuary to stray dogs in Teluk Bahang. The shelter has also contributed to MBPP's efforts to manage the stray dog population by caring for animals that have been vaccinated, neutered and made available for adoption. '4PAWS is not registered with the local authorities as the registration of animal shelters falls under the jurisdiction of the veterinary services department and animal welfare board,' he said.
South China Morning Post
21-05-2025
- South China Morning Post
‘Despicable' Chinese shop owner adopts stray dogs only to kill, cook and eat them
A woman shop owner in northeastern China who adopted stray dogs from rescue groups, then killed and cooked them, has triggered a wave of outrage. An animal shelter in Liaoning province recently received multiple reports from concerned dog lovers. Whistleblowers claimed a local grain and oil wholesaler was taking in stray dogs then making a soup out of them. According to the mainland media outlet Jimu News, the woman, who uses the alias Zhixuan, contacted shelter staff via messaging apps asking about free adoptions. The woman has adopted dogs from multiple animal shelters and then posted videos of herself cooking them. Photo: Shutterstock She promises to care for the canines and agrees to follow-up visits, then takes them home.
Free Malaysia Today
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Tackling stray dog menace govt's responsibility, NGO tells Negeri Sembilan MB
Negeri Sembilan menteri besar Aminuddin Harun defended the state's plan to cull stray dogs, saying critics should adopt the dogs instead of protesting. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : A lawyer-activist has criticised Negeri Sembilan menteri besar Aminuddin Harun for suggesting that NGOs and the public adopt stray dogs captured under the state's proposed culling programme. Rajesh Nagarajan of Lawyers for Animal Rights said the state government has the resources to address stray dog overpopulation and should not expect taxpayers to shoulder the burden. 'If there is a stray dog problem, then it is up to the state government to ensure that the issue is addressed,' he told FMT. 'If there's a hole on the road, do we ask the public to repair it themselves? Then what are they paying taxes for? The menteri besar should apologise for such a nonsensical statement.' Rajesh said Aminuddin should be thanking NGOs instead for stepping up despite not being legally obligated to do so, noting that many already rescue and rehome dogs with limited resources. While he agreed with Aminuddin's comparison to countries with no stray problem, he said those countries implement humane and systematic trap-neuter-release (TNR) programmes and not mass killings. On April 30, the Negeri Sembilan state assembly unanimously agreed that some stray dogs in predominantly Malay-Muslim residential areas should be culled to address safety concerns. Aminuuddin reportedly criticised NGOs and activists who staged a protest against the state government last week. According to Sinar Harian, he said they will go ahead with the culling operations, and told critics to stop protesting and instead adopt and care for the dogs themselves. Aminuddin also claimed that NGOs had been given land to run shelters, and that some released strays back into public areas But Global Human Rights Federation president S Shashi Kumar questioned this claim, asking for proof of land allocations and how they compare to the number of rescues. He also pointed out that most households are limited to two dogs, while some cannot keep any. 'Is the MB planning to amend those rules?' Shashi said local councils often charge between RM300 to RM1,000 to adopt a captured dog, calling it 'extortion'. Malaysian Animal Welfare Association (MAWA) founder S Mukunnan said the culling plan was hastily introduced and lacked consultation. 'You called the NGOs to adopt the stray dogs, why were the NGOs not called to discuss an alternative arrangement before you announced it (plan to cull stray dogs)? 'Where are the statistics for these complaints? Where is the proper research? Everything was done in a very rushed manner, maybe they just wanted to please the people because the election is coming in two years,' he said. Mukunnan said animal groups had submitted detailed proposals, including shared budget plans, to the housing and local government ministry. 'Implement trap-neuter-release and manage programmes, allocate sufficient funds, and involve more NGOs. Otherwise, they are going to do this killing forever, and the problem won't be solved,' he said.
Asharq Al-Awsat
18-05-2025
- Health
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Morocco Unveils Policies It Hopes Bolster the Care and Management of Stray Dogs
A mutt with a blue tag clipped to her ear whimpers as she's lifted from a cage and carried to a surgery table for a spay and a rabies vaccine, two critical steps before she's released back onto the streets of Morocco's capital. The 'Beldi,' as Moroccan street dogs are called, is among the hundreds taken from Rabat to a dog pound in a nearby forest. As part of an expanded 'Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate and Return' program, dogs like her are examined, treated and ultimately released with tags that make clear they pose no danger. 'We have a problem: That's stray dogs. So we have to solve it, but in a way that respects animals,' said Mohamed Roudani, the director of the Public Health and Green Spaces Department in Morocco's Interior Ministry. Morocco adopted 'Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate and Return,' or TVNR, in 2019. One facility has opened in Rabat and more are set to be launched in at least 14 other cities, aligning Morocco with recommendations from the World Organization for Animal Health. The government has spent roughly $23 million over the past five years on animal control centers and programs. Roudani said Morocco's updated approach balanced public safety, health and animal well-being. Local officials, he added, were eager to expand TVNR centers throughout the country. Though population estimates are challenging, based on samples of marked and tagged stray dogs, Moroccan officials believe they number between 1.2 to 1.5 million. Some neighborhoods welcome and care for them collectively. However, others decry their presence as a scourge and note that more than 100,000 Moroccans have needed rabies vaccinations after attacks. A draft law is in the works that would require owners to vaccinate pets and impose penalties for animal abuse. On a visit organized for journalists to a TNVR center in El Aarjate, enclosures for dogs appear spacious and orderly, with clean floors and the scent of disinfectant. Food and water bowls are refreshed regularly by staff who move between spaces, offering gentle words and careful handling. Some staff members say they grow so attached to the dogs that they miss them when they're released to make space to treat incoming strays. Veterinarians and doctors working for the Association for the Protection of Animals and Nature care for between 400 and 500 stray dogs from Rabat and surrounding cities. Dogs that veterinarians deem unhealthy or aggressive are euthanized using sodium pentobarbital, while the rest are released, unable to spread disease or reproduce. Youssef Lhor, a doctor and veterinarian, said that aggressive methods to cull dogs didn't effectively make communities safer from rabies or aggression. He said it made more sense to try to have people coexist with dogs safely, noting that more than 200 had been released after treatment from the Rabat-area center. 'Slaughtering dogs leads to nothing. This TNVR strategy is not a miracle solution, but it is an element that will add to everything else we're doing,' he said. It's designed to gradually reduce the stray dog population while minimizing the need for euthanasia.
