Trapped furkids now in safe hands

It’s going to be alright: Dr Farina checking on a few of the rescued cats at the temporary shelter in Kota Kemuning. — Bernama

SHAH ALAM: They may have been drenched, hungry and thirsty, but the pet cats and dogs of flood-ravaged Taman Sri Muda were never abandoned.

Even if they had to be left alone perched here and there in the flooded houses, their owners, who had to be evacuated in a hurry, came back to rescue them.

Siblings Alia Zulaikha Mahmud, 21, and Nur Hazirah Mahmud, 14, had to wade through waist-high floodwaters to save their 11 cats trapped in their house, Bernama reported.

“We could rescue only nine of them as two had died, crushed by a falling cupboard,” said Alia Zulaikha.

The floods, triggered by heavy rain over last weekend, submerged single-storey houses and reached the first floor of double-storey dwellings.

Nur Hazirah said members of their household had to make the difficult decision of saving themselves first before coming back for their furry friends.

“The floodwater rose fast and was already at chest level when we decided to relocate, leaving the cats on top of a cupboard,” she said.

Alia Zulaikha said three days later, after the floods receded a little, they came back in a boat provided by rescue authorities to retrieve their cats and some belongings.

Their cats are now “boarding” at their friends’ homes.

“We are grateful that our family members and most of our pets have been rescued. They may be just animals but, for us, they are family too,” she said.

Meanwhile, Shirley Lim, 29, was in two minds whether to bring her pet dog, Loki, along with her to the flood relief centre when the rescuers came to help move the family.

“I asked the rescuers to take my family members – my parents and my younger sister – first while I waited with Loki for the next boat to come. However, the rescuers wanted me to come along with Loki as well,” she said.

Lim said her parents and sister were sent to the relief centre at SJK (T) Ladang Emerald while she and her dog put up at a friend’s house.

“I did not want to bring my dog to the relief centre as there are Muslims there. Furthermore, I did not want my dog to be barking and easing itself here and there,” she said.

The Malaysian Veterinary Medical Association, meanwhile, is working with the Malaysian Small Animal Veterinary Association and the Selangor Veterinary Department to provide treatment to pets affected by the floods at a mobile clinic located in front of KFC and Pizza Hut in Kota Kemuning.

Universiti Putra Malaysia Faculty of Veterinary Medicine senior lecturer Dr Farina Mustaffa Kamal said they launched the initiative to provide free treatment, from Dec 21 to 27, as many pets and street animals had been badly affected by the floods.

“We accept any animal, not only dogs or cats, but also livestock such as chickens, geese or ducks rescued from the floods.

“Besides basic treatment, we also provide dog and cat food donated by associations and the public,” she said.