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Newborn puppies at Ganesan's shelter. Unless they find a home, they will end up on the streets or euthanised at the pound.

janesan is desperately looking for people to adopt the more than 100 dogs in his shelter. DBKL: Society is to blame Stray dog hotspots PetalingJaya Desa Perangsang I:lats The increasing number of abandoned dogs are leaving authorities and Ji~j~n.g~~a~~~.~~~~lata~ ... ·.. PPR Sri Desa Ria Flats ... _----_ ..-.... . -. ------._----_ ....--- -- PPR Seri Ara Damansara animal rights, organisations with no choice but to euthariise these canines ...... -- . (construction sites) Kampung Sungai Penchala ...... - __ . (at the jungle fringes) Desa Mentari ' . . that do not get adopted...... - . Taman Sentosa (near to commercial Taman Desaria areas,·flats and hawker centres) By GRACE CHEN Taman Desaria [email protected] Number of stray dogs rounded up INA dark basement at the back Year MBPJ .DBKL alley of a row of shophouses in 2015 (not available) . 6,084 is a dog shelter run by ...... 2016 766 4,686 Ganesan Veerapen. It is literally a ...... - . dog house as 100 canines live Dr Umi says that dogs do not become strays on their own and that abandon- 2017 330 (up till June) .' 4,571 (up till July) ment is the/biggest contributing factor. there. . Paperwork for A keeper, who sleeps with the Selangor neutering subs'idy application procedure dogs, goes round with a scoop fast facts every time an animal makes a • Funded by the Selangor State Print and fill out deposit. Visitors have to manoeu- Government to assist with reducing form from selangor- vre their way through urine pud- stray cats and dogs • neuteringsubsi- dy.wordpress.com • dles. Naturally, the smell is as thick • Fixed fund managed by PAWS as the woofs and whines which fill Animal Welfare Society ("PAWS"), ~ ongmatvet the air. 'ffi:iJI receipt. .' After 12 years, the shelter's days • Applicant must be born in Selangor are now numbered. Kuala Lumpur or be a registered resident of Photo collage of . Selangor (as per MyKad). City Hall (DBKL)has served. , dog or cat in awake Ganesim a notice following a spate Dr Umi says the authorities are • Only one application form per state before and forced to' take action for the sake of animal and one vet receipt per dog. e after neutertng.: . of complaints. The pong has report- public interest. edly permeated to a bank lobby • Each person is entitled to a I,~ Photocopy of Most probably the last scene a stray dog willsee if it does not get adopted. . ...El-' MyKad. , and tenants living on the upper maximum offive cats or dogs per A vet's table where it will be put to sleep by lethal injection. floors are fed up of the night-time to be part of medical studies on week. howling that robs them of their viruses. Post all to: Dr Umi said unless Ganesan can appointed contractors, rounded up migrated, died, developed allergies . .A maximum of RM60-00 per cat and PAWS Animal Welfare sleep. . or have lost interest in having a pet RM100-00 per dog only for neutering. Society,Pilmoor Estate, At 61, Ganesan does not think he find a suitable placeto relocate the a total of 6,084 stray dogs. or caring for a sick dog and it is Subang Airport Road, can continue running the shelter shelter to, DBKLhas to act in the . In 2016, the food bills alone • Fund will cover neutering fees for clear how the problem has become 47200 Subang, Selangor , for long. Due to his straitened cir- public's interest: amounted to RM23,000, not includ- approximately 800 cats and 800 dogs, Though there have been no . ing vet and catchers' fees. insurmountable and beyond the cumstances, the dogs ar~ only fed. capabilities oflocal authorities to once a day. . . reports of aggressive behaviour Furthermore, the DBKLdog handle. ~ "I cannot bear the thought that . towards humans, she said the pound can only take in a maxi- aggressive, sick or above five years "If owners neuter their pets, we rounding up of the dogs is neces- mum of 200 dogs, she pointed.out. compounding the problem is old are euthanised as their chances will not have so many unwanted the dogs will be taken away and llnproper food waste disposal and put to sleep," said Ganesan who sary as the shelter is behind a res: of being adopted are minimal. dogs," said Oon. taurant. There are also residents the public's habit of feeding strays. So far, only 80 dogs and cats has desperately started seeking Addressing the problem "Stray dogs are attracted to the help from the public to adopt his living one floor above. . owners have made use of the sub- availability of food. This is why Towards a stray-free city sidy provided by the state govern- dogs. "The shelter is in close proximity Dr Umi said society is to blame to a food preparation area. for the stray dogs' heartbreaking they often congregate at markets, For 'every litter born, there is a chance that one of them willend up on the . If-pet owners were more respon- ment. . "The unhygienic 'conditions can end. . hawker centres, back alleys and street. To prevent the problem of unwanted puppies, neutering is seen as sible, the stray dog problem could To gain a better understanding Public interest involved become an ideal situation for the . "~ogs do not become strays on parking lots," said Dr Umi. , the best solution. . be reduced by as much as 80% in of a city's pet population, Lim their own. Abandonment is the big- '; As these dogs are usually not said there was a need to monitor DBKLHealth and Environment transmission. of diseases such .as to multiply, the greater issue that which do not neuter their dogs. As . the next five years, said Petaling gest contributing factor. Dogs are spayed, they multiply. breeders, pet shops and pet own- Department deputy senior director rabies, a viral disease that causes must be tackled is pet dumping. a result, large packs of 10, to 15 Jaya City Council councillor Sean ,Dr Umi Ahmad has confirmed that inflammation of the brain; tinea, a dumped because-owners don't . dogs are eventually abandoned. Oon. ers: ' want to care for them," she said. Although the Animal Welfare Act "Their numbers should be taken a notice was served to the dog.shel- type of fungal skin infection and Trap, neuter and release 2015 has caine into force on July 1,' As many of these dogs have min- Oon, who. is overseeing a neuter- ter in response to public corn- leptospirosis, which can be con- The root of the stray problem imal contact with humans, they ing subsidy programme by the down together with the number of Although some animal rights enforcement will be key.' . tracted by touching soil or water can be traced back to several become feral strays. Selangor government, feels the human residents whenever a cen- plaints .' advocates encourage the' method of Under the Act, owners who The dogs will be sent to the contaminated with the urine of an sources includfng construction ''These category of dogs are most effective way of curbing the sus is being conducted. trap, neuter and then releasing abandon their pets can be fined no DBKLanimal pound in Jalan Lake infected animal," she said. sites, auto workshops, farms, scrap almost impossible to rehome as stray dog problem is to control "Make it compulsory for pet .(TNR) th~ dogs ~ack to their origi- . less than RM20,000 and not more Yew. They will be put to sleep after Queried on DBJ

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