A new chapter in animal welfare is taking shape in Penang with plans to establish the Centre for Adoption and Rehabilitation for Animals (CARE) announced by the Independent Aid for Protection and Welfare of Animals (IAPWA) Penang.
The association’s president Choong Koon Yean said CARE would not be a shelter where animals languished indefinitely, but a place of transformation for abandoned pets and strays.
“They will receive medical attention, emotional healing, training and the love they need to start again,” she said during IAPWA Penang’s Vegetarian Charity Dinner at SJK (C) Shang Wu in Air Itam.
“It will give them more than safety.
“It will give them a second chance to belong in families and to live the life every pet deserves,” she added.
The dinner also marked IAPWA Penang’s continued success under its Trap-Neuter-Release/Rehome (TNR/R) programme run with Penang Island City Council (MBPP) since 2018.
More than 7,800 stray dogs have been neutered and over 1,000 rehomed.
At the dinner, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow commended IAPWA for its long-term collaboration with the city councils and its offer of a RM50,000 reward for credible information leading to the prosecution of animal abusers.
“This bold move empowers witnesses and reinforces that cruelty will not be tolerated.
“Laws are only effective when cases are reported, investigated and prosecuted.
“Public vigilance remains essential,” he said.
Chow said Penang was working with stakeholders to support shelters such as 4PAWS in Teluk Bahang, noting that shelters are lifelines, not just buildings.
Funds raised from the dinner will go towards IAPWA’s ongoing neutering, vaccination and feeding efforts, as well as the development of CARE.
Formed in Oct 2017, IAPWA Penang began its work in the aftermath of the 2015 rabies outbreak, when widespread culling left a deep mark on the state’s animal welfare landscape.
Determined to find a humane solution, the group partnered with MBPP to introduce Malaysia’s first large-scale TNR/R programme in March 2018 which carries on until now.
