Ipoh SPCA protests govt circular rejecting long-standing TNRM initiatives to manage strays
'Without more proactive government involvement, it will be difficult to resolve the stray animal issue,' said ISPCA president Ricky Soong, calling on the government to work more collaboratively with civil society stakeholders.
Soong said the letter issued early this month by the Housing and Local Government Ministry labels stray animals as sources of environmental pollution and disease transmission vectors, as well as dismissing TNRM as ineffective.
Soong said the directive has sparked concern among non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that have worked for years to manage the stray animal population through the neutering and tracking system.
'This single letter puts a decade of hard work at risk.
'In the letter it clearly states that the government rejects TNRM, and upholds the 'No Stray Policy' by hoping to improve the 'Trap-Reclaim-Adopt-Dispose' approach in order to balance animal welfare and public safety,' he said, adding that ISPCA has been at the forefront of TNRM initiatives.
Soong said between 2017 and 2023, ISPCA collaborated with 20 veterinarians to neuter over 10,000 stray dogs in Ipoh, a move that significantly curbed population growth in key urban areas.
'TNRM works by stabilising the stray population in specific territories.
'Once neutered, these dogs stop reproducing, and our volunteers can continue monitoring them. It creates a sustainable cycle.
'Malaysia's model is similar to efforts taken in countries such as Turkey and Thailand, where TNRM is internationally recognised as a humane and effective method of stray animal control.
'The programme often includes microchipping, allowing for better tracking of both animals and owners,' he added.
Soong said the real problem is abandonment, and if microchipping were made mandatory, owners could be traced and held accountable.
'That's how you solve the root cause.
Soong said that with shelters facing overcrowding and dwindling resources, they fear that removing TNRM from the equation could lead to a rise in culling.
He questioned the government's so-called 'No Stray Policy,' asking whether it meant genuine humane solutions or simply mass culling and forced displacement.
'Do these animals not deserve a second chance. The least we can do is allow them the dignity to live,' he said.
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The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Morocco bolsters care and management of stray dogs with new policies
A mutt with a blue tag clipped to her ear whimpers as she's lifted from a cage and carried to a surgery table for a spay and a rabies vaccine, two critical steps before she's released back onto the streets of Morocco's capital. The 'Beldi', as Moroccan street dogs are called, is among the hundreds taken from Rabat to a dog pound in a nearby forest. As part of an expanded 'Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate and Return' programme, dogs like her are examined, treated and ultimately released with tags that make clear they pose no danger. 'We have a problem: That's stray dogs. So we have to solve it, but in a way that respects animals,' said Mohamed Roudani, the director of the Public Health and Green Spaces Department in Morocco's Interior Ministry. A worker pets a dog at the centre. Morocco adopted 'Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate and Return,' or TVNR, in 2019. One facility has opened in Rabat and more are set to be launched in at least 14 other cities, aligning Morocco with recommendations from the World Organisation for Animal Health. The government has spent roughly US$23mil (RM98mil) over the past five years on animal control centres and programmes. Roudani said Morocco's updated approach balanced public safety, health and animal well- being. Local officials, he added, were eager to expand TVNR centres throughout the country. The centre is designed to gradually reduce stray dog population. Keeping them clean Though population estimates are challenging, based on samples of marked and tagged stray dogs, Moroccan officials believe they number between 1.2 to 1.5 million. Some neighbourhoods welcome and care for them collectively. However, others decry their presence as a scourge and note that more than 100,000 Moroccans have needed rabies vaccinations after attacks. A draft law is in the works that would require owners to vaccinate pets and impose penalties for animal abuse. On a visit organised for journalists to a TNVR centre in El Aarjate, enclosures for dogs appear spacious and orderly, with clean floors and the scent of disinfectant. Some staff members say they grow so attached to the dogs that they miss them when they're released to make space to treat incoming strays. Food and water bowls are refreshed regularly by staff who move between spaces, offering gentle words and careful handling. Some staff members say they grow so attached to the dogs that they miss them when they're released to make space to treat incoming strays. Veterinarians and doctors working for the Association for the Protection of Animals and Nature care for between 400 and 500 stray dogs from Rabat and surrounding cities. Dogs that veterinarians deem unhealthy or aggressive are euthanised using sodium pentobarbital, while the rest are released, unable to spread disease or reproduce. Youssef Lhor, a doctor and veterinarian, said that aggressive methods to cull dogs didn't effectively make communities safer from rabies or aggression. He said it made more sense to to try to have people coexist with dogs safely, noting that more than 200 had been released after treatment from the Rabat-area centre. 'Slaughtering dogs leads to nothing. This TNVR strategy is not a miracle solution, but it is an element that will add to every-thing else we're doing,' he said, referring to 'Treat, Neuter, Vaccinate, Return'. It's designed to gradually reduce the stray dog population while minimising the need for euthanasia. It's a programme that Morocco is eager to showcase after animal rights groups accused it of ramping up efforts to cull street dogs after being named co-host of the 2030 FIFA World Cup last year. Animal rights groups routinely use large sporting events to draw attention to their cause and similarly targeted Russia in the lead-up to the 2018 FIFA World Cup there. A worker and a vet pet a dog at a centre for neutering and vaccinating strays dogs on the outskirts of Rabat, Morocco. Publicity stunts? Citing unnamed sources and videos it said were shot in Morocco, the International Animal Welfare and Protection Coalition claimed in January that Morocco was exterminating three million dogs, particularly around cities where stadiums are being built. The allegations, reported widely by international media lacking a presence in Morocco, triggered anti-FIFA protests as far away as Ahmedabad, India. 'These dogs are being shot in the street, often in front of children, or dragged away with wire nooses to die slow, agonising deaths,' Ian Ward, the coalition's chairman, said in a statement. 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The Star
26-06-2025
- The Star
Oh, rats! DBKK offering RM2 bounty on rodents until July 31
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The Star
21-06-2025
- The Star
Ipoh SPCA protests govt circular rejecting long-standing TNRM initiatives to manage strays
IPOH: The Ipoh branch of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) urges the government to reconsider its decision to reject the long-standing Trap-Neuter-Release-Manage (TNRM) programme to curb the population of stray dogs. 'Without more proactive government involvement, it will be difficult to resolve the stray animal issue,' said ISPCA president Ricky Soong, calling on the government to work more collaboratively with civil society stakeholders. Soong said the letter issued early this month by the Housing and Local Government Ministry labels stray animals as sources of environmental pollution and disease transmission vectors, as well as dismissing TNRM as ineffective. Soong said the directive has sparked concern among non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that have worked for years to manage the stray animal population through the neutering and tracking system. 'This single letter puts a decade of hard work at risk. 'In the letter it clearly states that the government rejects TNRM, and upholds the 'No Stray Policy' by hoping to improve the 'Trap-Reclaim-Adopt-Dispose' approach in order to balance animal welfare and public safety,' he said, adding that ISPCA has been at the forefront of TNRM initiatives. Soong said between 2017 and 2023, ISPCA collaborated with 20 veterinarians to neuter over 10,000 stray dogs in Ipoh, a move that significantly curbed population growth in key urban areas. 'TNRM works by stabilising the stray population in specific territories. 'Once neutered, these dogs stop reproducing, and our volunteers can continue monitoring them. It creates a sustainable cycle. 'Malaysia's model is similar to efforts taken in countries such as Turkey and Thailand, where TNRM is internationally recognised as a humane and effective method of stray animal control. 'The programme often includes microchipping, allowing for better tracking of both animals and owners,' he added. Soong said the real problem is abandonment, and if microchipping were made mandatory, owners could be traced and held accountable. 'That's how you solve the root cause. Soong said that with shelters facing overcrowding and dwindling resources, they fear that removing TNRM from the equation could lead to a rise in culling. He questioned the government's so-called 'No Stray Policy,' asking whether it meant genuine humane solutions or simply mass culling and forced displacement. 'Do these animals not deserve a second chance. The least we can do is allow them the dignity to live,' he said.
