KUALA LUMPUR, April 1 — Tengku Permaisuri of Selangor Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin today told local authorities to find non-lethal alternatives to manage stray animal populations in the state.
She expressed her disappointment over learning that the Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) was planning an operation to catch and kill stray dogs in areas under its jurisdiction.
“I have stressed many times that I disagree with the ‘catch and kill’ method and believe there are many other ways we can use to curb this problem. As the Royal Patron of the Stray Free Selangor (SFS) campaign run by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty Animals (SPCA), I want the authorities to detail a new and more holistic approach in managing stray dogs.
“I have previously suggested that efforts to preserve the welfare and reduce the number of abandoned animals be intensified, through the Create Caring and Compassionate Communities (CCC) campaign.
“Apart from an extensive neutering programme I also would like to suggest to the local authorities to build more animal shelters in housing estates with the cooperation of the locals who love animals,” she said in a statement from the Selangor Royal Office.
Elaborating, she said that currently, the Selangor SPCA together with the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Universiti Putra Malaysia, the Malaysian Veterinary Medical Association and the Malaysian Pet Veterinary Association are actively holding the “Potong Royong” mass neutering drive for stray animals.
It began in March 2023 and a total of 1,626 animals have been sterilised through this programme, as an effort to reduce the population of abandoned animals.
She also asked that the Ministry of Housing and Local Government Development’s re-examine Circular Number 5 of 2014 regarding the standard operating procedures for catching and disposal of stray dogs in local authority areas to be more relevant to the current situation.
“I really hope that the efforts to take care of the welfare of these abandoned animals will continue and not just be lip service,” she added.
It was reported recently that the MBSA was planning a task force to catch and kill 500 stray dogs in the area. It even proposed rewarding volunteers with RM30 for each dog caught during the exercise from April 22-24.
According to MBSA’s notice of the operation, dogs caught cannot be claimed and will be brought to the council’s animal shelter to be killed.
Animal welfare groups condemned this move, calling for a more humane method to reduce the population of stray dogs.
