GEORGE TOWN: A total of 6,046 stray dogs have been neutered to curb the number of street animals in Penang, says Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.
He said this was carried out via the Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) programme, implemented since 2017, in collaboration with the International Aid for the Protection and Welfare of Animals.
Penang is the first state to implement the programme, he pointed out.
“We practice a policy of not killing stray dogs unless they are terminally ill.
“Once neutered, we will release them back to their original places because dogs are territorial animals,” he told reporters after opening the 2nd World Cat Federation Penang International Cat Fiesta (PICF) 2024 in Bayan Lepas near here yesterday, Bernama reported.
Chow said these dogs neutered by the state could be adopted as pets.
He said the Penang Island City Council is still receiving complaints about the presence of stray dogs and cats, especially in the Teluk Bahang and Balik Pulau areas.
On PICF 2024, Chow said a total of 300 cats, including some 50% that came from overseas, participated in the exhibition.
He said besides the cat exhibition, the two-day event also carried out various activities such as cat grooming workshops, drawing competitions, knowledge sharing seminars about felines, and the pedigreed cat ownership campaign.
