Latest news with #TNRM
The Sun
05-07-2025
- General
- The Sun
Stop the round-up of TNRM dogs
I AM writing to urge the Petaling Jaya City Council and other municipal councils across Malaysia to halt the practice of capturing stray dogs that are already being cared for under the Trap-Neuter-Release-Manage (TNRM) programme in Petaling Jaya and beyond. This approach is not only ineffective but is also disheartening for many local rescuers and caregivers who have devoted their time, energy and personal resources to building a more compassionate and sustainable environment for people and animals. These dogs are not random strays or nuisances – they are part of our neighbourhoods. Many residents know them by name, feed them and have formed bonds, not only with each other but with the community at large. When Petaling Jaya City Council captures these dogs, it is not just about removing animals from the streets, it is about removing their trusted presence that communities have grown to love and protect. Under the TNRM model, dogs are trapped humanely, sterilised, vaccinated and released back into their 'home' areas where they pose little threat to public safety. Scientific evidence and global experience show that TNRM helps stabilise and gradually reduce stray populations. Yet, when neutered dogs are caught and removed, it destroys that balance and invites the 'vacuum effect' where new unsterilised dogs migrate into the area, restarting the cycle of unchecked breeding and overpopulation. Rescuers and NGOs in Petaling Jaya are not idle onlookers. These individuals have full-time jobs yet still dedicate their evenings, weekends and savings to care for these animals. When City Council removes sterilised dogs, it invalidates months and sometimes years of effort. Every removed dog equals wasted TNRM funding and vanishing trust in local governance. The emotional toll is immeasurable – rescuers grieve for the dogs they see taken, often without transparency on their fates. Moreover, redirecting dogs to shelters such as PAWS, while well-intentioned, is not a sustainable solution. These facilities are stretched far beyond capacity. Many animals remain confined for years or are euthanised due to space limitations. This should not be the default answer to managing free-roaming dogs. Instead, we urge all city councils to recognise the TNRM community as allies. By working in partnership, city councils can formalise cooperation frameworks with registered NGOs, offer municipal support for neutering campaigns and maintain a database of microchipped or tagged TNRM dogs to prevent mistaken captures. Educational outreach programmes and public awareness campaigns can also help dispel myths about strays and promote responsible pet ownership. The continued capture of TNRM-managed dogs is not only counterproductive and inhumane, it also jeopardises the soul of a community striving towards compassion and coexistence. Let us not cast aside the volunteers who are offering real solutions. We urge the Petaling Jaya City Council to act in solidarity with these efforts and lead Petaling Jaya towards an ethical and effective model of animal management. David C.E. Tneh Petaling Jaya
The Star
04-07-2025
- General
- The Star
No need to catch neutered dogs
I AM writing to respectfully appeal to the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) and other municipal and city councils in Malaysia to halt the capture of stray dogs that are being managed under the trap- neuter-release-manage (TNRM) programme within Petaling Jaya and beyond. Catching neutered dogs, beyond being ineffective, has deeply disheartened local rescuers and caregivers who have poured their hearts, time, and personal resources into creating a more humane city for both animals and people. These managed dogs are not random nuisances, they are a part of our neighbourhoods. Many residents recognise them, feed them, and even name them. They have formed bonds not only with each other but with the community at large. When MBPJ captures these dogs, it is not just removing animals from the streets, it is removing trusted presences that communities have grown to love and protect.
New Paper
30-06-2025
- General
- New Paper
'It was never smooth sailing': Dog welfare group ex-president reflects on 13 years at the helm
Dr Siew Tuck Wah can still remember what his bosses said when he became the president of Save Our Street Dogs Singapore (SOSD Singapore) in 2012. "Please don't associate the clinic with your charity work because the image is wrong," recalled the 46-year-old aesthetics doctor. SOSD has since become one of the most prominent animal welfare groups in Singapore. Dr Siew recently stepped down as SOSD president, citing a need for renewal, but remains a member of its medical committee. Looking back on his time helming the dog welfare organisation, he told The New Paper that people often think of stray dogs as "dirty, ugly, and disease-prone", and inferior to purebred, pedigree dogs. Today, Dr Siew is confident that mindsets have shifted. "The public's perception of stray dogs has changed tremendously," he said. Ironically, while Dr Siew has adopted many dogs since 2010, he did not grow up loving canines. "Growing up, there were no dogs in the neighbourhood. We were told to be very scared of dogs, you know, the dogs will bite you and all that." He moved out of his family home in 2006 and got his first dog Nugget, a Japanese Spitz. "That's when I started to get to know about dogs, how to take care of them and how to interact with them." Dr Siew with Nugget in 2007. PHOTO: NUGGET, CRAZY BLUE-EYED BOY/FACEBOOK As his love for dogs grew, so did his interest in the canine species. He began fostering stray dogs and got involved in animal activism in 2010. Back then, SOSD was just a small Facebook group started by a group of like-minded stray dog feeders, Dr Siew recalled. In a series of events that he attributed to fate, Dr Siew worked together with the organisation to save stray dogs in Punggol after a culling exercise in 2011. It was an epiphany for Dr Siew, as it gave him the motivation to step up and spearhead changes within SOSD. 'It was never smooth sailing' "I told the members we need to do this in a very structured way, but all the members said they didn't want to. So they said, if you want to, you can head it. And that's when I headed SOSD." He spent the next three years working towards an Institution of a Public Character (IPC) status for the organisation, as he believed it would help bring in more donations and increase SOSD's credibility. Most of his free time was spent at the dog shelter, handling administrative matters for the organisation. With decreasing donations and the expiry of the dog shelter lease, Dr Siew eventually quit his job to dedicate all his time to the organisation. He was also keen to work on the nationwide Trap-Neuter-Rehome/Release-Manage (TNRM) programme, which aims to sterilise free-roaming dogs after capture and subsequently rehome them. In 2015, Dr Siew spent the year having conversations with ministers and the Animal Veterinary Service (AVS) to strengthen collaboration and come up with solutions for stray dogs in Singapore. "I will go as far as to say that if I didn't dedicate full time to this, the TNRM project might not have taken off or taken off so early. The situation of the animal shelters might be different today." Dr Siew walking the dogs he adopted. PHOTO COURTESY OF DR SIEW Return to practice Over 13 years as SOSD president, Dr Siew gave up his full-time job as an aesthetics doctor in 2015, started Radium Medical Aesthetics in Singapore the following year, and another clinic in Malaysia in 2024. "I always knew I had to come back to work, right? I'm not rich," he quipped. "It's either you work for people or you start your own business. I realised I cannot work for people anymore because I needed that flexibility to be able to run both." He described his commitment to his clinic and SOSD as "very hand in hand". "All the SOSD meetings were held in Radium, we had all the fundraising campaigns cross cover, so there's a lot of synergy between them." Stepping down Dr Siew said his decision to step down as SOSD president was necessary as the organisation needed renewal to "thrive". Current president Ms May Ngu, a "passionate individual with the fire burning" who was SOSD's vice president, took over an organisation that has grown from 10 to 278 registered volunteers. "She's someone who has a vision of what she wants, and she takes care of both dogs and people," he said. Dr Siew hopes that SOSD's efforts will eventually be expanded into Malaysia, where its stray dogs are "not privileged" to have a supportive government. "They are poisoned, shot, and skinned alive, so they really need a concerted effort to sterilise and improve animal welfare." "This might be a good chance if I have the bandwidth, and if I have enough funds, because it's going to be a lot of money, then I can start helping dogs there," he added. "I don't think I'll ever stop," he said with a laugh. "I hope that I can continue to be healthy so that I can get things moving and bring positive change."
The Star
27-06-2025
- General
- The Star
Compassion for strays, not conflict
A FEEDER and rescuer of strays in Ipoh collapsed and died recently, believed to be from a heart attack. Before tragedy struck that day, she had cooked huge pots of rice and chicken for the many street dogs that depended on her for their daily sustenance. Being a responsible feeder, she also ensured that the dogs she fed were caught and neutered to prevent an increase in their population. Those who knew her, said she had complained of fatigue and dizzy spells. It is common for dedicated rescuers and feeders to neglect their health in pursuit of caring for the voiceless. There are many genuine rescuers like her who feed and neuter strays to prevent street and stray dogs from foraging for food, creating a ruckus during mating season and littering indiscriminately. Their biggest fear is that stray dogs and their puppies will be caught by local authority dog catchers and euthanised. These dog lovers and carers are also careful not to raise the ire of those in authority, for fear that the dogs may end up suffering. In the last few years, unfortunately, other quarters have used the plight of street dogs to rabble-rouse and spew belligerence against decision-makers. Their actions make things difficult for genuine animal rescuers and activists in their efforts to help stray dogs. The non-genuine group made a mistake of organising demonstrations in front of Housing and Local Government Ministry and the Veterinary Services Department (DVS) in February, instead of having negotiations. What followed was a circular to local councils in early May, supposedly from the ministry, rejecting the Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) stray management system in favour of the Trap-Reclaim-Rehome-Dispose (TRRD) method that is currently in use. Currently, because of TRRD, many rescuers are spending thousands of ringgit to reclaim dogs caught and relocate them. How many farms can continue taking in the countless bailed-out dogs daily? Under the preferred TNR, not only are the dogs released after being 'fixed', they are also managed and fed every day. Before the demonstrations by the other group, DVS had regularly invited licensed shelters for events that paved the path for discussions. The camaraderie that was being built came crashing down after the demonstrations, while social events with DVS abruptly stopped. It is believed the circular had also thrown the spanner into negotiations between a renowned shelter and a local council to try out the Trap-Neuter-Release-Manage (TNRM) method. It is time those professing to fight for the 'rights' of street animals understand that animals do not have any rights. Their only chance of survival is through compassion and understanding. This can only be achieved through discourse and reasoning and not through confrontation and hostility.
The Star
21-06-2025
- Health
- 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.
