This is a follow-up from the above post about some street dogs in Selayang who require medical help. We have offered our medical subsidy for these dogs.
Initially highlighted by Vedrana Lukacevic, the cases have now been undertaken by Yap Mei Han. The first of the cases is Whitey’s, a male dog, now diagnosed with TVT.
We will be sponsoring 100% of Whitey’s TVT treatment Mei Han, will cover the boarding costs. Should Whitey be diagnosed with further medical problems, we have offered our medical subsidy as per our policy, pending Mei Han’s request.
The following correspondence is reproduced for the purpose of accountability and transparency:
From: meihan yap
Date: Mon, May 13, 2013 at 12:05 AM
Subject: Selayang Strays – reported by Vedra
To: “chankahyein@gmail.com” <chankahyein@gmail.com>Dear Dr Chan,
I’m Mei Han and just read your post on the above subject. Apologies that my e-mail reached you rather late.
Vedra has posted a request for help to save the strays in Selayang. I’m going over on Tuesday to send them to vet as I understand they are injured. There are two dogs.
I would like to seek assistance from your society on funding as I’m not attached to any organisation.
The immediate action that we have planned is to treat them and try to rehome later.
Thank you,
Mei Han
From: meihan yap
Date: Fri, May 17, 2013 at 12:18 AM
Subject: RE: Selayang Strays – reported by Vedra
To: Chan Kah Yein <chankahyein@gmail.com>Dear Dr Chan,
I would like to provide an update on Whitey, one of the strays reported in Vedra’s appeal.
Whitey was found with some cuts and injuries on his paws and body last week. When we send him to vet, all we expect is some minor treatment required.
Doctor discovered he has TVT and needs to go for weekly treatments that cost RM80 per jab. I have started him on the first jab and he will need to go for another 7-8 jabs.
The estimated costs for him to undergo the treatment is around RM700-RM800 including medication for his current condition. Our close friends would like to contribute some to his medical fund. I would like to seek your advice if we can proceed with this request and I will present the necessary bank statement to disclose the total amount received.
We hope to receive subisdy on the balance or any revised amount endorsed by animalcare from the total bill.
I would also like to request for an extended period for me to submit the original bill as Whitey’s treatment is expected to complete in 2 months time.
I enclose Whitey’s photos taken during his visit to the vet.
Please feel freeto let me know if you need further information.
Thank you,
Yap Mei Han
Our reply to Meihan, at 12.30am on 17th May 2013:
From: Chan Kah Yein <chankahyein@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, May 17, 2013 at 12:30 AM
Subject: Re: Selayang Strays – reported by VedraDear Meihan,
On Fri, May 17, 2013 at 12:18 AM, meihan yap wrote:Doctor discovered he has TVT and needs to go for weekly treatments that cost RM80 per jab. I have started him on the first jab and he will need to go for another 7-8 jabs.Please provide the name of the vet and contact details.The estimated costs for him to undergo the treatment is around RM700-RM800 including medication for his current condition.Is the Dr using Vincristine (chemo) jab?Besides the Vincristine, what other medication is being used? Pls provide the names of the medications.Our close friends would like to contribute some to his medical fund. I would like to seek your advice if we can proceed with this request and I will present the necessary bank statement to disclose the total amount received.It would be good if your friends would like to chip in for this bill. That’s wonderful.We hope to receive subisdy on the balance or any revised amount endorsed by animalcare from the total bill.That would depend on how you are raising the extra funds from your friends. Is it through Facebook? What media are you using?If there is more than 1 person paying for the 50%, we would need more details (names of those paying, media used, etc.) and our committee would have to consider all these factors before approval.Our subsidy is given based on 50% by the rescuer + 50% by us. Once there are many donors involved, it complicates things and it’s very hard for us to justify to our donors.There had been cases of multiple-claiming or overlapping claims in the past when too many donors are involved and we would like to avoid this.I would also like to request for an extended period for me to submit the original bill as Whitey’s treatment is expected to complete in 2 months time.Our deadline is 2 weeks from the date on the receipt. I’m sorry, we cannot extend this. For TVT claims, you have two options:1. Pay the vet weekly and claim weekly.2. Pay the vet at the end of the treatment and do a single claim.Either way, I don’t see why you would need an extension beyond the 2 weeks. If there is a reason, please explain.Regards,kahyein
From: meihan yap
Date: Fri, May 17, 2013 at 12:57 AM
Subject: RE: Selayang Strays – reported by Vedra
To: Chan Kah Yein <chankahyein@gmail.com>Dr Chan,
Thank you for your prompt reply. My explaination is as below :
a) Please provide the name of the vet and contact details.
(Clinic and contact details provided)b) Is the dr using Vincristine (chemo) jab?Mei Han : It’s a TVT Injection. I’m not sure the name but will check with Dr tomorrow.c) Besides the Vincristine, what other medication is being used? Pls provide the names of the medications.Mei Han : As for TVT, only jab is administered. Other medication was provided but this is for his wounds (antobiotic, cream and dewormed pill)d) That would depend on how you are raising the extra funds from your friends. Is it through Facebook? What media are you using?Mei Han : We have posted an update on Whitey on facebook and our friends have offered to help.e) If there is more than 1 person paying for the 50%, we would need more details (names of those paying, media used, etc.) and our committee would have to consider all these factors before approval.Mei Han : At the moment, around 4 person have confirmed to donate however, the amount is uncertain as we haven’t requested officially for them to bank-in.f) Our subsidy is given based on 50% by the rescuer + 50% by us. Once there are many donors involved, it complicates things and it’s very hard for us to justify to our donors.There had been cases of multiple-claiming or overlapping claims in the past when too many donors are involved and we would like to avoid this.Mei Han : Thank you Dr Chan. I am agreeable with the above and will discuss with Vedra to see if we can raise enough fund so animalcare can reserve their subisdy for other cases.g) Our deadline is 2 weeks from the date on the receipt. I’m sorry, we cannot extend this. For TVT claims, you have two options:1. Pay the vet weekly and claim weekly.2. Pay the vet at the end of the treatment and do a single claim.Either way, I don’t see why you would need an extension beyond the 2 weeks. If there is a reason, please explain.Mei Han : Whitey is currently being fostered in Sungai Buloh. As I stayed in Kajang, there will be some volunteers helping to send him to vet. I will not be making payment to the vet directly and may need some time to retrieve the original bill.But as we are trying to raise the fund, I will keep you updated on the status.Thank you again Dr Chan for taking time to look into this case.Good night,Mei Han
Subsequently, we received an email from Vedrana on 17th May 2013 saying that it isn’t easy to raise funds through Facebook. She wrote that a vet is asking RM1600 for a 5-week treatment and boarding for Whitey.
We prefer to liaise with just one rescuer for each case (to avoid complications, miscommunication and misunderstandings), we made a further offer to Mei Han, at 1.06pm, 17th May 2013:
From: Chan Kah Yein <chankahyein@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, May 17, 2013 at 1:06 PM
Subject: Re: Help for the stray dogs – urgent!Dear Meihan,
We only communicate with one person for each case. In this case, is it you or Vedrana? Pls discuss with Vedrana, decide, and keep to one person if you wish to pursue with any claim for this case.
If Vedrana is working together with you, please help her understand that as a society, we are bound by policies (http://animalcare.my/subsidy/) and our committee has the sole discretion to approve a case or not.
If you are open to suggestions, here are some options:
1. Try (name of vet and clinic). He has done a few TVT cases for us. There is one there at the moment, subsidised by us. Ask the vet for an estimate. Then, decide. We’ve never encountered a bill so high for any TVT case.
2. Once any case goes to Facebook, we don’t subsidise anymore. If you are not confident of getting the funds for Whitey, halt the Facebook fundraising and let me know how much you can come up with. I will, on my side, see how much extra we can foot for Whitey. But this would be based totally on trust and goodwill then once we pledge the agreed amount, there will be no more fundraising on your side for this case.
I hope you understand that as a part of the big animal caregiving community, we have seen and experienced some rescuers making money out of the animals and it is our joint responsibility to act with integrity in what we do (esp when it concerns money) in order to preserve the good name of animal welfare and rescue.
Kindly revert with your decision on the below:
1. Who are we with dealing with? You or Vedrana?
2. Do you want to raise the funds yourself on Facebook? If so, we will not be subsidising anymore.
3. If you do not wish to raise the funds yourself on Facebook, please stop the donations and let me know how much you have already raised and how much more you need.
Thank you.
Regards,kahyein
From: Chan Kah Yein <chankahyein@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, May 18, 2013 at 9:09 AM
Subject: whitey’s caseDear Meihan,I have not received any update or decision from you regarding Whitey, ie. whether you want to raise the funds yourself through facebook and friends (that is, withdraw your application from AnimalCare) or you want to still apply for our subsidy.In case you did not get my email, sent at 1.06pm yesterday, I reproduce it below (pls scroll, in blue).To reiterate, our policy is such that the rescuer must still pay part of the bill, so if you still wish to apply for our subsidy, kindly let me know how much you have collected through Facebook and your friends (we need a list of the donors’ names and amount) and we can discuss how much more you need. I hope you understand that once we take on a case, we need total transparency, and all names has to be published in the blogpost.I also gave you the contact of a vet in USJ, in case you wish to have a second opinion, in terms of diagnosis as well as cost.Would appreciate your reply as we have many cases to handle and I cannot reserve the funds for you if you do not reply.Thank you.Regards,kahyein
From: meihan yap
Date: Sat, May 18, 2013 at 9:51 AM
Subject: RE: Help for the stray dogs – urgent!
To: Chan Kah Yein <chankahyein@gmail.com>Dr Chan,
Thank you. My reply is as below. Once again, thank you for your time on this matter.
a) We only communicate with one person for each case. In this case, is it you or Vedrana? Pls discuss with Vedrana, decide, and keep to one person if you wish to pursue with any claim for this case.Mei Han : Apologies on this. I will be the contact person for Whitey’s case.
b) If you are open to suggestions, here are some options:1. Try (name of vet and clinic details). He has done a few TVT cases for us. There is one there at the moment, subsidised by us. Ask the vet for an estimate. Then, decide. We’ve never encountered a bill so high for any TVT case.Mei Han : Thank you for recommending this vet. I have spoken to him and he agreed to take up White’s case. We are sending Whitey over today and he has given me the following cost estimation:TVT jab – between RM80 to RM100.Boarding – RM15 per day.The vet will examine Whitey to confirm the severity and he will advise the duration required for his treatment.2. Once any case goes to Facebook, we don’t subsidise anymore. If you are not confident of getting the funds for Whitey, halt the Facebook fundraising and let me know how much you can come up with. I will, on my side, see how much extra we can foot for Whitey. But this would be based totally on trust and goodwill then once we pledge the agreed amount, there will be no more fundraising on your side for this case.Mei Han : Vedra has been posting Whitey’s case on facebook as she wanted to rehome the dogs. So when we discovered he has TVT, an update on his condition was published on facebook. So far, we haven’t received any actual donation from the public.I would like to apply for subisdy on Whitey’s treatment. I’m not sure how much the total cost will arrive to as the vet needs to check on the dog before confirming the number of jabs required.We have ceased all fundraising for Whitey on facebook. From the estimation provided by the vet, the major cost is from the boarding and I’m aware animalcare don’t subsidy for this.Dr Chan, can I request for subisdy from animalcare on White’s TVT treatment as I will be paying the bill without any support from public. For his boarding, we will arrange to pay this our own.c) I hope you understand that as a part of the big animal caregiving community, we have seen and experienced some rescuers making money out of the animals and it is our joint responsibility to act with integrity in what we do (esp when it concerns money) in order to preserve the good name of animal welfare and rescue.Mei Han : Thank you for setting up a fund to assist with animal welfare and rescue work which provide great relief to the rescuers. I confirm all cases referred to animalcare will be handled with utmost integity.Kindly revert with your decision on the below:1. Who are we with dealing with? You or Vedrana?Mei Han : I wil be the single point of contact for Whitey’s case2. Do you want to raise the funds yourself on Facebook? If so, we will not be subsidising anymore.Mei Han : There will be no fund raising at all for the TVT treatment. We have provided an update on facebook to inform our friends that we will not accept any donation for Whitey’s medical bill as per animalcare policy.3. If you do not wish to raise the funds yourself on Facebook, please stop the donations and let me know how much you have already raised and how much more you need.Mei Han : We have ceased the appeal. I will be paying Whitey’s bill 100% and will be requiring subisdy from animalcare. Can I advise on the required funding later once the vet checked on Whitey.Thank you.Regards,kahyein
From: meihan yap
Date: Sat, May 18, 2013 at 11:29 AM
Subject: RE: Help for the stray dogs – urgent!
To: Chan Kah Yein <chankahyein@gmail.com>Dr Chan,
My reply is as below :
Let me understand you correctly on this, pls:1. You are applying for 100% sponsorship on the TVT jabs only?Mei Han : I will pay for the TVT treatment without any donation received from others, and will apply for sponsorship from AnimalCare for this.
2. You will be paying the cost of boarding yourself? Yourself = You alone or your facebook friends as well?Mei Han : The boarding cost will be sourced by Vedra. She has two friends, Warika & Michelle, who are keen to help out.
3. What about other costs as you mentioned your first vet said there are other medications needed?Mei Han : Whitey suffered some skin problem and wounds. I will absorb the cost for the first treatment.4. If the vet discovers other problems, do you need a subsidy for this as well? If so, how much subsidy do you need?Mei Han : We want to give a life back to Whitey as he has suffered a lot. If he has some other problems. i would like him to be treated. For the subsidy, I will abide by the policy of 50% funding by animalcare.Mei Han : Dr Chan, at the moment, I’m not sure the condition of Whitey and how long he has to stay in the vet. Is it possible that I claim only for the TVT treatment. We will take on the full payment for his boarding.I hope, as a show of good faith and goodwill, you could pls clarify what is going to happen to the RM300 or “half the cost” as mentioned in the Facebook entries. Since this money was raised for Whitey, it would be correct to use this money for this purpose and not keep it for other cases. However, this is just our opinion. The decision is still yours but please let us know. Once we publish this case, readers are going to check Facebook and will see all these entries. Best to be transparent about it on the outset.Mei Han : This RM300 is the deposit required for Whitey to be admitted into one of the vet in Puchong. (A friend) recommended this vet to us after knowing Whitey will be returned to street. This was the option we were considering before you recommended this other vet.The first vet however charged RM1,600 for full treatment & boarding which we are unable to commit. Around the same time, one of Vedra’s friend informed that she wants to contribute RM600 so we can quickly admit him.This plan was then cancelled after I spoke to the vet you recommended and his pricing was so much more affordable. Vedra then posted on facebook and requested to stop the donation.These messages took place before we confirmed sending Whitey to the vet you recommended.There are many confirmation received from our friends to assist Whitey but I haven’t receive any fund at the moment. As for Vedra, she doesn’t have a bank account and I confirm no donation has been received so far.As for Whitey’s boarding, Vedra will get assistance from her friends and there will be no public appeal for donation.Dr Chan, sorry for all the confusion as everyone was so concerned with Whitey’s well being and lots of options was being discussed as the TVT case came to us very unexpectedly.I fully understand if at all, animalcare cannot accept this case due to the “publicity” surrounding this matter, I respect this decision.Regards,Mei Han
3. If Whitey requires more medical treatment, our 50% subsidy is available. If Mei Han requires more funds, we will do an additional fundraising for Whitey, should the cost be high.
All said, we wish Whitey a speedy recovery and we hope Mei Han will send us updates and photos.
A note to all applicants:
If you wish to apply for our medical subsidy, we would prefer to have a “50% paid by you + 50% paid by us” arrangement to avoid all complications. We believe that any rescuer must have some funds to support her/his own work and not fully depend on donations alone.
But granted, sometimes the bill is high and your friends would like to chip in too. Then, could we please request that you provide the names of all donors and amount donated so that we can publish all details for total transparency and accountability to the public?
Please share our aspiration in maintaining the good reputation of animal charity by displaying integrity and transparency in all matters involved, from money matters to honest reporting and photo updates.
Honesty and integrity go a long way and are of great importance in the preservation of the sanctity of animal charity work. That is a responsibility we need to uphold.