IPOH: The Ipoh Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) is prepared to assist the government’s plan to microchip pet dogs, says its president Ricky Soong.
He said they have the expertise, having introduced the microchipping of pet and stray dogs as part of their “Trap-Neuter-Release-Manage” (TNRM) programme in 2017.
“We do hope that it can be implemented and expedited.
“In Ipoh, about 16 veterinary clinics have the software and hardware for it if they want to work together,” he said when contacted.
Soong was commenting on Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Aiman Athirah Sabu’s remarks in the Dewan Negara on Wednesday that the ministry is exploring the move to microchip pet dogs as part of its integrated digital registration system.
The system would streamline the recording of dog ownership details and monitor the animals’ status more efficiently.
Aiman Athirah was asked whether the government would make microchip tagging mandatory for breeding control and managing the stray dog population.
In 2017, ISPCA introduced the TNRM programme, with the consent of the Ipoh City Council, to control the stray population.
The programme would see stray dogs captured, neutered, and tagged with a microchip before being released back into the areas where they were caught.
The microchip would contain information about the animal and its owners or carers.
Soong said the tagging of pets and strays has also been implemented in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Germany, and could be easily adopted in Malaysia.
“With the microchips, we can identify the respective owners if their pets are found to have been dumped or abandoned.
“In Ipoh, we have tagged more than 10,000 pets and strays, including cats, and still have the database,” he added.
Soong said he had previously visited a microchip manufacturer in China and could get a piece for below RM10.
“Some expensive models include Global Positioning Systems and can cost more than RM100.
“The microchip scanner is also important, which costs about RM100, and can be purchased from online shopping platforms,” he said.
Soong said he hopes the government will complement the microchipping plan with continuous neutering campaigns to tackle the stray population issue.
“It needs to be a two-pronged approach to be effective,” he added.
However, Soong said the move to tag animals with microchips in Ipoh stopped in July this year, following a statement by the city council that it was no longer collaborating with ISPCA.
