I applaud the recent decision by the Tanjong Malim District Council (MPTM) to call off its campaign to pay RM10 for each stray dog caught by the public. The social media was flooded with complaints with regards to the campaign which has been perceived by animal lovers as inhumane and open to abuse and exploitation.
The timely intervention of the Ipoh Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPA) and the state executive councillor Dr Mah Hang Soon has brought cheers and relief to animal lovers. Although the RM10 per stray dog campaign has been shelved, I hope MPTM will not be disappointed.
The MPTM and other district councils should work closely with animal lovers and other associated animal welfare groups to find an acceptable humane method of reducing the stray population.
The fact that MPTM chief Khairil Akhtar Ghazali has pledged to give priority to public views and is prepared to look into alternate workable methods to reduce the stray population is highly commendable. I wish we have more of people like Khairil Akhtar in public offices who are people-friendly and sincere in wanting to work with the public.
However, being an ardent animal lover, I am equally concerned with the ever-increasing number of stray dogs and cats in our environment. This is made worse by the cruel practice of abandoning old and unmanageable pets by irresponsible pet owners. The increased cost for pet food/products and professional veterinary services due to the imposition of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) recently has somewhat contributed to this sudden rise in pet abandonment.
I have personally come across so many abandoned dogs in housing estates of late. There are two abandoned dogs taking shelter in my house at the moment. Animal welfare homes and SPCAs are not in position to provide shelter to all these poor creatures as they are facing a ‘house full’ situation and acute shortage financial resources.
The public should view this increase in stray population seriously with an open mind without getting too sensitive or highly emotional about it. We should realise that stray dogs and cats experience poor health due to lack of resources or provisions to safeguard their five freedoms.
These animals can pose a significant threat to human health through their role in disease transmission. The public should cooperate with the authorities in drawing up a humane programme or strategy to manage the stray population.
However without conducting a proper scientific study on our stray population status and dynamics, etc I am afraid ad hoc stray control strategies are not going to be effective. Ideally the veterinary authorities or the local councils should conduct a comprehensive study on our stray population status and based on this study findings they should develop long-term sustainable strategies to effectively deal with the strays in our environment.
No authentic statistics on stray population
The government should consider a special funding allocation (one-off) to a reputable research or academic body to a carry out a comprehensive scientific study on our stray population. A proper study will reveal the actual situation of our stray population and how best to deal with it. At the moment there are no authentic statistics on our stray population.
Those interested in conducting such a study can refer to the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) special report titled ‘strategies for controlling stray dog and cat population in 31 countries’ as a guideline.
The WSPA studies has highlighted in its findings that for a successful stray control programme the following elements are essential: a comprehensive, effective and enforced legislation, registration and licensing, control of breeding and sale of pets, environmental management, pet owner education and good cooperation between the authorities and animal welfare organisations.
In the meanwhile the authorities should focus on spaying and neutering the strays and releasing them in a safe environment. The local councils should introduce special mobile vet clinics to provide this spaying and neutering services. Ideally these services should be provided free. In this way I am confident the public will come forward to spay their animals.
With the mobile vet clinics offering free spaying and neutering services in a matter of years we should see a decline in the stray population. Guidelines can be drawn up so that these free services are not abused or exploited.
If the authorities are short of hands to provide these services they can always reach out to the animal welfare groups who are just ready to cooperate and volunteer their services.
