IPOH: The Perak government is working with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to identify suitable locations to be turned into animal shelters, as part of efforts to address the growing stray population in the state.
State housing and local government committee chairman Sandrea Ng Shy Ching said the aim was to provide a minimal-cost facility for NGOs to manage, ensuring rescued animals have a place to be housed and cared for before adoption.
Ng said such shelters would also help in cases where people lodge complaints on strays, and when the animals are caught they then could be placed at such shelters.
“As of April this year, a total of 1,421 dog-related cases have been reported to the 15 local councils in Perak.
“This shows how serious the issue is,” she told reporters after the launch of the Perak Pawsitive 2025 campaign for the Kinta district at the Red Crescent Hall here on Wednesday (Aug 13).
The event was officiated by the Raja Permaisuri of Perak Tuanku Zara Salim.
Also present was Perak Mentri Besar’s wife Datin Seri Aezer Zubin.
Ng said therefore the state government hoped that through the Perak Pawsitive Initiative awareness campaign, especially with the subsidised neutering initiative, they are able to tackle the root cause of preventing the birth of unwanted animals that end up as strays.
“At the same time, we want to make adoption a common practice.
“When NGOs rescue strays, there must be somewhere they can be kept while waiting to be rehomed,” she said.
Ng said the stray overpopulation was largely due to irresponsible pet ownership, with many owners failing to neuter their pets, and the babies often ended up abandoned, creating public safety concerns and disturbing community harmony.
“The campaign, which began last year, includes subsidised neutering and awareness activities such as photography and drawing competitions, as well as adoption drives.
“Since its launch, a total of 301 dogs and 254 cats have been neutered through the campaign.
“Licensing has also been a focus, with 498 dog licences issued during the campaign after officials found many owners had not registered their pets,” she said.
Ng said the subsidised neutering drive is primarily targeted at pet owners, but applications from NGOs or individuals with strays would be considered on a case-by-case basis.
“For strays, many NGOs are already running their own trap-neuter-return (TNR) programmes, while the state government focuses on domestic pets whose owners have the facilities to care for them,” she said.
