This news came out on 14th Feb 2025: https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2025/02/14/rescuers-struggle-with-costs
We fervently hope the councils will allow feeders to bail out the animals under their care from the pounds at no cost. But based on the report, there have been “unethical rescuers” who take advantage of the councils’ goodwill and abuse it.
Greed and dishonesty have no place in animal rescue work. We urge everyone who is involved to think of the animals and not let them suffer all because of humans’ greed.
Excerpts:
Founder of AnimalCare Society, Dr Chan Kah Yein, said local councils used to allow registered animal welfare organisations to collect as many captured street animals as they wanted from the pounds free of charge.
She recalled spearheading four rescue missions from three local councils in Selangor in 2006, 2009, 2010 and 2014 where the animals were given to her at no charge.
In a previous interview, Dr Chan voiced hope that the councils would at least release neutered street animals, caught and placed at their pound, free of charge to those who were feeding and managing them.
Former senior deputy director of the Department of Veterinary Services Dr Saravanakumar Supramaniam Pillai said during joint dialogues, local councils had shared that they stopped giving out captured dogs for free because some people had taken advantage of such a gesture.
“Some unethical ‘rescuers’ would rescue the dogs and then release them without neutering them, in spite of raising public funds to desex them.”
This came to light after dogcatchers discovered they were repeatedly catching dogs that had been “bailed out”, he said.Dr Saravanakumar explained that the imposition of the “bail” amount was to deter irresponsible rescuers from collecting the dogs from the pounds and releasing them indiscriminately.
“Unfortunately, the high compounds did not really work out as these unethical groups would raise even bigger amounts of public funds, yet still released the animals (to the streets) without neutering them,” he added.
Furry Friends Farm president Myza Nordin said that Dr Saravanakumar’s explanation, if indeed true, was distressing.
“This is not right. This could be why the population of street animals is exploding,” she said.
“The only way to overcome this is for donors, who have contributed towards the ‘bail’ amount and other subsequent costs, to ask for regular feedback and follow-ups on the dogs,’’ she added.
Myza said the local councils should monitor that the canines removed from their pounds were duly neutered by the rescuers as well as rescue groups.
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