ANIMAL welfare groups involved in the rescue operation in Putra Heights have clarified that an individual who claims to represent them was never part of their teams.
SPCA Selangor and the Animal Kindness Coalition (AKC) said a woman who appeared during the mission began making unauthorised claims of affiliation.
SPCA Selangor general manager Kelvin Cheah said she was initially believed to be a contact of a volunteer, but later introduced herself to donors, media and the public as a representative of multiple NGOs.
“The person was not involved in field rescues and did not enter the disaster zone.
“Instead, the individual allegedly remained at the operations site, intercepted media interviews and attempted to collect supplies meant for rescued animals.”
AKC president Asther Lau said the person first appeared with several cages for the rescue effort.
“Initially, we assumed it was a simple drop-off. But later, the person allegedly began referring to our volunteers and SPCA staff as part of her team.
“The person later attempted to block volunteers from moving supplies and made statements that suggested they were leading the operation,” said Lau.
Cheah and Lau said the situation caused confusion and disrupted logistics on the final day of the operation.
“The individual was eventually escorted out by enforcement personnel and police,” said Cheah.
SPCA later lodged a police report at the USJ 8 police station in Subang Jaya on April 6.
“No funds were collected by either organisation throughout the week-long rescue.
“We had even made an announcement on social media before the rescue operation began,” said Cheah.
He added that SPCA would be introducing clearer protocols, including a visible chain of command and better on-site identification to safeguard future operations.
Both groups are reminding the public to verify claims before engaging with individuals representing NGOs.
