Municipal councils in Malaysia have for decades used the same catch and kills method to control all strays (abandoned pets and feral alike).

Catch and kill is an abhorrent, cruel and ineffective method that has incurred the wrath of animal carers and rescuers.

Selangor Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) would like to thank Shah Alam mayor Cheremi Tarman for bringing together NGOs and animal rescuers to a meeting on April 2 to address the uproar caused by the latest catch-and-kill round-up. He maintained an open mind and listened intently to our proposals.

The current method has proven to be non-sustainable and heartbreaking. NGOs and animal rescuers have used their own funds to constantly feed, spay/neuter and rehome these animals.

Selangor SPCA has long proposed a humane, compassionate and sustainable way to address the stray problem. It comprises of multi-pronged approach with various stakeholders from public and private sources.

Under the guidance and support of Selangor’s Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin who is the royal patron of SFS Stray Free Selangor under Selangor SPCA, Her Royal Highness and Selangor SPCA proposed Creating Caring and Compassionate Communities with Municipal Councils (CCCC).

Changing the approach

The vision of CCCC is to reduce the stray population by working with NGOs, residents, animal rescuers, and various government stakeholders by promoting responsible pet ownership (RPO), massive subsidised spay/neuter projects and a home for every soul via humane adoption.

We aim to change municipal pounds into an education, spay/neuter clinic, and rehoming centre where residents can gather and work together to promote RPO within their communities and enjoy other animal activities, much like a mini SPCA!

The enlightened mayor has decided to amend the wording used in Section 17 of the Local Government Act 1976 to eliminate the word “disposal and destruction” and use more acceptable terms to address the strays. We believe this will slowly change the mindset of the public from pests to sentient beings.

He also agreed to embark on CCCC by starting with a pilot trap, neuter, release and manage (TNRM) project with Setia Alam dog rescuers, while being mindful that there are areas where it will not be acceptable. Animals ear-tipped after spay/neuter will not be caught and instead will be cared for under this project.

However, TNRM projects must only be conducted in areas where the community accepts them.

Selangor SPCA hopes that the Shah Alam City Council will lead a new humane and sustainable way forward in addressing stray challenges in CCCC as many NGOs and animal rescuers stand ever-ready to assist.

We thank all who participated in the meeting and look forward to a new tomorrow!

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