Thanks to setting up of new shelter, Papan landfill no longer used by two Perak local councils for strays

IPOH, May 18 — The days of unneutered or unspayed strays caught by the Ipoh City Council and Batu Gajah District Council being released at the Papan landfill are coming to an end.

This positive move is because a newly set up private shelter in Simpang Pulai will now begin receiving the animals.

The shelter, a joint effort between the Ipoh Society for the Prevention of Cruelty Against Animals (ISPCA) and Utopia Pertubuhan Penyayang Haiwan (Utopia), is expected to begin operation in June.

ISPCA president Ricky Soong said there were still some minor details that need to be ironed out with both councils such as registration of strays sent by them to the shelter.

Ipoh Society for the Prevention of Cruelty Against Animals president Ricky Soong said starting June 2023, all strays caught by Ipoh City Council and Batu Gajah District Council would not be released at the Papan landfill. — Picture by Farhan Najib

“Once it is sorted out, it will be all systems go,” he said.

Speaking to the media after a soft launch of the shelter on May 17, Soong said both councils were allocated 30 slots each to send strays caught by their enforcement unit at their respective localities.

“There will be a total of 60 strays at the shelter at any one time and they will be kept there for two weeks.”

“If they are unclaimed after the deadline, the strays will be neutered or spayed before they are released at the spot where they were first caught,” he said, adding that the cost to neuter or spay the strays would be borne by the feeders of the area.

The Trap Neuter Release Manage (TNRM) programme initiated by the Ipoh Society for the Prevention of Cruelty Against Animals will see strays caught by the Ipoh City Council and Batu Gajah District Council being neutered or spayed and released. — Picture by Farhan Najib

In Ipoh, seven animal welfare organisations have agreed to join the programme.

They are Perak Animal Welfare Society — TNRM Perak, Mutts and Mittens, Utopia, Ipoh Stray Welfare and Protection Society, Ipoh Jaya Animals Haven, Gimme Hope and Kiko Food Bank.

Prior to the establishment of the shelter, the councils would release unclaimed strays at the landfill leaving them exposed to the elements.

While there are feeders who feed them, many end up being victims of accidents or sickness.

Utopia spokesman Louis Cheng said they were a group of six businessmen who wanted to give back to society.

“All of us are Ipohites and animal lovers. We are saddened whenever we see strays roaming the streets and decided to allocate funds to help them,” he said.

Cheng said the 0.6 hectares land where the shelter sits on was rented by them from an owner with a monthly rent of RM3,000.

“We spent RM350,000 to do up the place including putting up enclosures and roofing. We are also allocating about RM10,000 monthly for its operation such as the employment of two workers to look after the dogs, kibbles and utilities.”

Dogs caught by the respective councils would be kept at their pounds for three days while waiting to be claimed by their owners.. — Picture by Farhan Najib

It was previously reported that ISPCA would head the project but due to financial constraints, the project had to be temporarily postponed.

The businessmen then approached Soong to extend their help in continuing with the project.

According to Soong, dogs caught by the respective councils would be kept at their pounds for three days while waiting to be claimed by their owners.

They would be sent to the shelter if they were unclaimed and kept for the 14-day period.

During their stay at the shelter, dogs certified by veterinarians as unfit to be spayed or neutered due to serious illness would be put to sleep.

“The shelter will be the strays’ last opportunity at a chance in life rather than continuously contributing to the problem of unwanted dogs,” he said.

He added that animal lovers were welcomed to come to the shelter to adopt the dogs where they would be charged nominal adoption fees to cover the procedural costs.