By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, June 21: The Humane Animal Society Sarawak (HASS), together with Animal Central Veterinary (ACV), under the surgical care of Dr Davies, launched ‘Potong Royong’—a community-led pilot TNVR (Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return) programme targeting free-roaming dogs.
According to a press release, HASS president Anna Wee said that the initiative is not new; rather, it is underused in practice, as most default to culling strays instead of acting on evidence-based solutions.
“There was no fanfare, photo ops or reporters. This milestone is not for optics. It is the embodiment of what happens when a committed non-governmental organisation (NGO) joins forces with a local veterinary practice to turn compassion, science, and responsibility into action,” she said.
Surgeries to spay or neuter the dogs are performed inside ACV’s custom-built mobile operating unit, a fully air-conditioned unit designed to bring sterile, professional veterinary care where needed most, with community participation.
“Unlike other vaccination programmes focusing on pets, our TNVR programmes target free-roaming dogs, who are excluded from current vaccination efforts.
“Neutering of strays is a completely different ball game—still unheard of thus far—whether by relevant authorities or other NGOs.
Strays involved in this pilot were tagged using collared AirTags—a safer, less invasive alternative to ear tags, which too often lead to infections, torn ears, and painful abscesses.
“HASS firmly holds that the responsibility for vaccinating and neutering pets lies squarely with their owners. This is not optional—it is a fundamental duty of responsible pet ownership,” she said.
She added that the burden should not be shouldered solely by citizens or under-resourced NGOs, as in any society that claims to value public health, the care of community or homeless dogs must fall under the collective mandate of relevant government agencies.
“As part of Sarawak’s goal to become rabies-free by 2030, we believe it is time to stop darting around the problem and actually solve it. Real impact will never come from shoot-first policies, euphemistically referred to as ‘rabies control’. It has to come from science-backed, humane programmes with built-in accountability and community engagement.
“For any pilot, AirTag or ear tag, to succeed, we need clear mandated standard operating procedures (SOPs), multi-agency cooperation, and political will to retire outdated methods.
“Dart guns don’t stop Rabies or reduce the stray population—TNVR does,” she said.
The pilot programme was conducted on a pack of stray dogs at one of the volunteers’ neighbours’ houses at Jalan Jambu.
During the programme, five dogs were caught. Three—a mother and her three adult children—were neutered, while two escaped. — DayakDaily
