THE Penang Island City Council (MBPP) will carry out a  Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) programme to manage the stray dog and cat population on the island.

The council will capture stray dogs and cats following public complaints and neuter them at its new Vector Control and Veterinary Services Centre in Jalan Sungai, George Town. The healthy neutered strays will then be released.

Council secretary Yew Tung Seang said the building would be ready for full operations after Chinese New Year next month.

He said construction was completed last year but some defects had to be rectified.

“After the building opens, hopefully we won’t have to put any dogs to sleep,” he told a press conference at the centre today.

The building project began four years ago on a 6,026 sq m lot in Jalan Sungai. The 2,486 sq m premises will house administrative offices, an animal handling area at the back, and a vector workshop area.

There are cages for 32 cats, a kennel for 100 dogs, and even stalls to house six goats, six cows and three horses.

The centre, which cost RM8.24 million, is expected to handle 30 to 40 stray dogs for neutering a month.

Local government executive coucillor Chow Kon Yeow said the neutering programme would be done in collaboration with the International Aid for the Protection & Welfare of Animals (IAPWA).

“We will not see immediate results, but in five years when the neutered strays grow old and die without reproducing, we will be able to see a reduction in the stray numbers,” he said.

Chow said the new centre would also address issues of how the council dealt with stray dogs – a matter often raised by animal lovers in Penang.

“The issue that always popped up were allegations that MBPP was cruel in handling animals and destroyed stray dogs.

“With this centre ready, we will conduct TNR to control the stray population, which animal lover groups have been championing all this time,” he said.

Chow said the neutered strays might then be released to groups that want to adopt them or shelters.

“Some of the animals may have owners but were caught by the council. So the owners who find their pets at the centre can ask to take back their animals, but after paying a compound,” he said.

He also said the centre would also become a platform to promote responsible pet ownership.

Chow said Penang would set up a similar facility in Relau.

“That facility is still in the planning stage. It will provide a larger space for IAPWA to conduct the TNR programme as well as related awareness programmes.

“I think animal rights groups in Penang will be glad of this development. They always had issues with the council” he said.

Chow said the council would continue to engage with animal welfare groups to share ideas for programmes.

For mainland Penang, he said the Seberang Prai Municipal Council (MPSP) was working with Universiti Sains Malaysia and other organisations to conduct the TNR programme.

The Penang government courted controversy from local animal groups in 2015, when a rabies scare in the northern peninsular states resulted in the culling of almost 3,000 stray dogs in Penang.

However, no positive rabies cases were detected in the 32 random samplings taken from the killed dogs. – January 5, 2018.