aNt's reply: Thank you CONCERNED for your reply. As an animal lover I understand your apprehensions and reservations fully. To be frank, I also share your cynicism and skepticism about many things that are wrong about our country today.
However, please understand that in my position as councillor, I am also trying to play a role of being a catalyst for change. I have learnt over the past almost two years that it is better to work with the local councils to bring about the change we want than to just remain critical.
The new committee for canines is MPS is at a very fragile and infant stage. It will need time to develop itself as it is a very new concept for the local council. As far as I am concerned, I want to do everything I possibly can to make it happen because it is in the continuity of such a council that all animals will benefit in the end.
There is a tremendous amount of education work to be accomplished over the weeks and months. Not only do the councils need to be educated but also NGOs for animal concerns which in my opinion are too bellicose in their approach rather than being helpful to them.
I've learnt that our authorities have to put up against many residents who are very against dogs in their neighbourhood. Many of them wish them to be shot. Some suggestions have also been made to bring in more Vietnamese immigrants so that they can eat all the canines and be done with them.
So you see, the council has lack of awareness from others to deal with as well. And I am not blaming these anti-dog people because the blame also goes back to irresponsible pet owners who allow their dogs to behave in non acceptable ways to make neighbours hate them.
Regarding the MPK pound, I'm afraid that you may be misinformed. MPK, thanks to CAT, is in the best condition than it has ever been. It is cleaned at least four times a day - virtually double the time that some animals shelters are cleaned in a day.
Perhaps your friend my have visited it when the dogs may have just relieved themselves? Food supply is being worked on a good programme where MPK is in the midst of purchasing dog kibble from various companies.
Food is also being collected regularly and faithfully from SPCA Selangor. You may check these facts out independently from the SPCA themselves or from Mrs Pat Lim, an animal activist, who is in-charge of checking on the pound management: 016 656 8997.
However, this is not to say that your complaints is not taken into consideration. I will still raise these matters up at our CAT meeting which is held once a month in MPK's headquarters. I look forward to your personal visit to the pound and your feedback. Please feel free to call me or SMS your complaints. (012 220 3146).
This applies to anyone else who is sincerely concerned about the quality of care and management in the MPS and MPK pounds.
Thank you once again CONCERNED for your views. We appreciate it very much which is why we have highlighted your comments as our Letter of the Day.
Warm regards
aNt
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2 comments:
Dear Mr. Anthony,
I'm writing to you after visiting the pound in Klang (MPK) at Nortport to see for myself the situation as of now and I have found out that there are cooked food being supplied to Klang pound but instead of twice, it's only once a week and there's also kibbles but not very much. I'm glad after the CAT initiative took over in Klang pound it has seen tremendous improvements (at least dogs are now being fed instead of being starved).
However, i personally thinks a few areas still need a tad more improvements i.e plastic bowls and basin should be regularly washed and dried in the sun and I hope two sets of these plastic bowls and pails can be provided for each enclosures so that the caretakers can rotate and clean them regularly. I also noticed that they're still hosing down the area with water only and that may not be sufficient since pounds are a breeding ground for viruses and i suggest it should be 'chloroxed' or bleached and wash with detergents to help minimise the spread of infections. Maybe you can look into this in your next meeting with MPK and I hope instead of depending on cooked food from SPCA and public donation on kibbles, it's high time that MPK has provisions/ budget set aside for the pound management and if possible a mobile clinic and in fact I believe that the pounds themselves can also have their very own adoption drive twice monthly or so to allow public to adopt but with condition that they have to neuter their adopted dogs (collect a fund from them and provide a receipt whereby they can send their dogs to the nearest Klinik Kembiri to have them neutered), in cases where the adopters find it troublesome to send to Klinik Kembiri they can also opt to get it done at their own vets and contributions collected earlier can go to the funds for pound mgmt whereby MPK can traced it through the issued receipts so that any embezelment (just in case)can be avoided.
There are also cases whereby caretakers sells kibbles/canned dog food donated by public to unscrupulous pet shop owners/buyers and I hope you can look into this matter. This is a fact as I have witnessed such an act before but i'm not pointing fingers at any local councils but i'm just stating a fact that this does happen. This prompted donaters to opened sealed kibbles bags but such cannot be done to canned food so I hope you look into this matter.
I hope my observations of the pound does help you towards the betterment of the MPK pound and many more pounds to come. I also wished to be updated on the outcome on the MPS pound discussions and if my previous suggestions can be a reality soon! MPK has a log book system to have visitors/owners registered themselves before entering the pound and that is also a good idea if MPS follow such procedure and allow the public to visit their pound in the near future.
Hope to hear more positive improvements from you soon!
Dear Concerned,
Thank your for your feedback. I'm glad that you see "tremendous improvement" in MPK's pound since CAT took over.
However, we have a lot more work to do with the help of the MPK to make the changes permanent.
All your points will be looked into and deliberated at the convening of our next meeting.
Some of the issues you raised like the food sponsorship and the possibility of food donations being abused have already been discussed in our CAT meetings and looked into.
MPK is working towards getting the council to approve a budget of dog food for the canines under their care.
This will take several months before it can be done owing to many of the procedures practised at the council.
At least we can be happy that the process has already started and MPK is certainly doing its part to get this done.
In the meantime, food coming in will have to be ones that are donated. If you can help in this area, it would be great if you can pull in others to also help until MPK gets the approval for the funds.
Regarding adoption, I've been briefed that Jacqueline Tsang of Save A Stray (SAS) is doing a pretty good job of rehoming pound dogs by the dozens each week.
She is also involved with MPK's weekly adoption programme where the pound is open on weekdays for people to come in an adopt a stray.
Jacqueline has also been instrumental in temporarily getting dog food donations.
Finally, since we are on a higher level of discussion about improvements in the pound, I would like to request that you identify yourself to us.
It is important for us to know your background - especially in your expertise in animal husbandry - in order for us to act on your suggestions.
At this level, taking such serious suggestions from someone who is anonymous (anyone can write under 'concerned') is really not professional.
Besides, this is also not a CAT blog but Petpositive. Even though I am Chairman, I cannot use this Blog or speak for the rest of the committee all the time.
Please feel free to send in your full details and suggestion to petpositive@yahoo.com where I can bring your points up to the CAT committee for further action.
Please also be reminded that CAT is made up of experts in animal rescue, care and health - including representatives of the Department of Veterinary Services who have been giving expert advice on how the pound should be managed.
Thank you very much and looking forward to hearing from you,
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