By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, April 5: Animal welfare groups in Sarawak have joined the chorus calling for an end to the proposed operation by the Shah Alam City Council to capture and kill stray dogs from April 22 to 24, denouncing it as a ‘barbaric practice’ that has proven ineffective in reducing the stray population and controlling rabies.
In a joint press statement today, Humane Animal Society Sarawak (HASS), Save Our Stray (SOS), Street Animal Rescuers Association Bintulu (Sara) and Zero Strays Miri expressed solidary with Tengku Permaisuri of Selangor Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin, who is the Royal Patron of the Stray Free Selangor Campaign and Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, the Patron of SPCA Selangor.
They echoed the call for local authorities to explore non-lethal alternatives for managing stray animal populations in Shah Alam.
“Similarly in Sarawak, as stakeholders, we strongly advocate for a fundamental reassessment of the outdated methods still in practice here.
“The inhumane capture and culling of strays implemented over five years ago in Sarawak has clearly proven to be ineffective, resulting instead in an increase in the stray population leading to a rise of rabies cases. This, in turn, impacts the community as a whole,” they emphasised.
The groups condemned the strategy of capturing strays and offering bounties per dog as a barbaric game that contradicts the principles of all religions.
“A proven and humane method is none other than a statewide neutering campaign and vaccination drive. This has already been voiced by Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg in October 2023 at the Asia for Animals (AFA) Conference in Sarawak,” they noted.
They proposed that the Sarawak government implement punitive measures to criminalise animal abandonment, cruelty, and abuse, and empower more non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to intervene in cases of animal mistreatment.
Moreover, they highlighted the necessity of forming a task force committee comprising relevant NGOs, experienced rescuers, and feeders to collaborate with local agencies in tackling the issue.
They also advocated for the establishment of a trap-neuter-vaccinate-release (TNVR) task force committee in cooperation with local authorities.
To achieve this shared objective, they emphasised the importance of devising a master plan for a cost-effective neutering programme involving community engagement and collaboration with animal professionals and veterinary associations.
Additionally, they proposed the creation of pound facilities with clear policies on lost and found dogs, rescues, and strays.
“We call upon all stakeholders, NGOs, the veterinary fraternity, the community and government agencies to unite, come together on a common platform in solidarity to resolve a longstanding problem,” they urged. — DayakDaily
