Volunteers checking on the medical condition of some of the dogs at the shelter.
FURRYKIDS Safehaven, a shelter that houses some 2,000 strays near Seremban, Negri Sembilan, will soon be able to buy a new van to carry out its dog-catching activities, thanks to a RM17,000 donation from Santana Riderz Motorcycle Club.
Club member Dalbir Singh said they chipped in after being approached by the shelter’s management, which is a registered non-governmental organisation (NGO).
“We know how costly it is to manage an animal shelter and the day-to-day needs of strays.
“We hope more donors will come forward and help the shelter buy the van as soon as possible so they can keep rescuing the strays,” he said.
Dalbir also urged families to donate RM5 a month to help such shelters in their areas.
This, he said, would go a long way in helping those managing these places to better care for the rescued dogs.
If these shelters had the funds, he said, they could neuter the rescued animals.
“It will also be good if the authorities can continuously provide financial aid to such shelters because it is a community service,” he said, adding that the club also organised other charitable projects at orphanages and old folks homes.
Furrykids Safehaven president Jeskiran Kaur Bhatt thanked Santana Riderz for the donation, saying that the NGO needed another van now that it was given a contract by the local council to catch stray animals in Seremban and Nilai.
“The council wants us to carry out our activities five days a week in both areas,” she said, adding that the strays would be neutered and released.
Jeskiran said the shelter had one old van, but it was recently involved in an accident after the brakes failed.
She said a distributor had offered a new van for RM45,000, and the shelter hoped to raise the remaining sum of RM28,000 after receiving RM17,000 from the bikers.
The NGO started off with 70 dogs that it saved from being euthanised at a pound in Kuala Lumpur in 2017.
In January 2021, the shelter moved to higher ground in Kuala Sawah after floods in Mambau caused the deaths of about 50 dogs.
The new shelter is spread across 2.8ha and consists of workers’ quarters, isolation, quarantine and boarding kennels, storerooms, a roaming area, sheds and an office building.
Furrykids Safehaven needs between RM90,000 and RM120,00 a month to run the shelter.
Its expenses include utilities, rental, wages, food and medicine.
Jeskiran said the organisation also needed to vaccinate the dogs annually, which costs about RM60,000.
“The rental and maintenance cost for the land amounted to almost RM58,000 and RM36,000 respectively.”
Work at the new shelter was still in progress due to cash flow problems, she added.
“We also need about RM50,000 to complete the construction of a treatment room to reduce our medical bill significantly,” said Jeskiran, adding that the shelter still owed RM90,000 to a kibbles supplier.
Those who wish to donate to the NGO can contact Jeskiran at 016-230 7854.
Volunteers checking on the medical condition of some of the dogs at the shelter.
Dalbir (right) handing over the contribution to Jeskiran for the purchase of a new van.
