THE loss of a steady source of income and even a roof over one’s head has not deterred kind Malaysians from continuing to feed and care for stray dogs and cats during the current lockdown.

These good Samaritans offer their time, money and homes to ensure that the animals are well fed and that their health is taken care of.

Where possible, friendlier strays are put up for adoption to get them off the streets.

Kamaruddin Omar Baki, fondly known as Pak Din, used to live in an old folk’s home in Kulim, Kedah but was expelled because he was feeding the stray cats that visited the home.

“Someone complained to the management that the cats were dirty. They then decided to kick me out and asked me to take the cats with me.

“I left on May 31 after living there for two years and drove back to KL with nine cats in tow,” the 74-year-old told The Malaysian Insight.

In 2018, Pak Din was living in Sentul, Kuala Lumpur. He was selling things at the thieves market to make ends meet. 

One day, while he was queuing up at a soup kitchen, he was hauled up by the authorities and was sent to the old folk’s home in Kulim for people without family. Pak Din had never been married.

He is currently homeless but he still has the cats he rescued with him. He and the cats live in his car, which is parked along Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, opposite Pos Malaysia, near the Pasar Seni LRT station in the capital city.

The cats are in crates to make sure that they do not run across the road and get hit by passing vehicles. He lets them out to play in a secure area when he cleans the cage with water he gets from a nearby building.

Though Pak Din’s welfare cheques were cut off when he left the homes, he is not willing to part with the cats, which he treats like his children and feeds three times a day.

“I feed them wet food, if I give them kibbles they won’t eat and will be unhappy. To feed all eight, I need three cans a day and each can cost RM4.50,” he said.

“I get food for myself from the soup kitchen that operates around here. Some days I ask them if they have extra food to give away so that I can give it to the cats. This way, I can save one can.

“If the cats are happy, I’ll be happy too.”

Not only does he feed the cats he brought with him, he also feeds the other stray cats that roam around where he lives. Recently, he took in two more kittens who were abandoned.

Pak Din’s cats are healthy and do not require the vet’s attention, and he and the felines get by on public donations.

Asther Lau of Damansara Perdana Strays Rescue lost her job as a photographer during the pandemic but she continues to feed the strays in her area as well as trap and neuter those she can get her hands on.

“There are more strays on the street, mostly from the Orang Asli settlement. I have a strong suspicion that they are now lacking a food source, so they are now wandering out,” she said.

There are around 11 people in her team. Three are in charge of social media, four are feeders and four are active fosterers.

Lau and her team feed around 80 stray dogs a day around Damansara Perdana daily.

“We feed the dogs rice mixed with scrap food that we get from the eateries nearby. We also mix in kibble to give them more nutrients in their diet,” she said.

The cost of buying rice to feed the dogs is much cheaper than kibbles, which the dogs are not fond of.

“Occasionally, when we have money, we will buy chicken neck and chicken head and chicken carcass. We buy the rice out of our own pockets. Usually those who cook will buy the food.”

Besides feeding the strays, all members of Lau’s team trap and neuter at least one dog a week.

“On average it costs RM500 to neuter, vaccinate and board a male dog. It costs around RM650 to RM750 for a female dog.”

If there is a need to treat an injured dog, Lau and her team turn to crowdfunding as the cost is too much for them to handle.

“We are lucky that the vet will give us the bill after the dog has been discharged and they give us time to raise funds.”

Lau has also found new homes for 150 cats and dogs since 2019.

For Brenda Foo who lives in Kota Kemuning, the lockdown is not a deterrent for her to rescue puppies and re-home them.

“In the past one-and-a-half-months, I have rescued 15 puppies. It costs around RM3,000 just to feed them,” said Foo, who is currently not working.

Since they are still puppies, Foo said they need good food and also deworming to get rid of parasites.

“If they get sick, the vet bill can run up to over RM1,000.”

Foo said she doesn’t ask for donations for fear people may criticise her or assume that she is running a scam. Instead, if someone volunteers to help, she usually asks them to pay for the vet bills by asking them to meet at the clinic in person.

She works with other rescuers to find suitable homes for the puppies she rescues but is often faced with people who want to adopt for the wrong reasons or are in the lookout for a specific breed of dog.

“They tell me they want a husky, and when I tell them that a husky will destroy all their furniture with no proper training, they are speechless.”

However, there are those who are willing to pay a hefty sum just to get the dog that they like.

“I rescued a dachshund and a lady in Malacca got in touch with me. She is used to having a dachshund and she paid for a pet taxi to transport the dog from KL to Malacca.”

Foo said while waiting to be adopted, the puppies stay in a boarding facility in USJ Taipan that charges RM10 to RM20 per day depending on the type of dog.

Last week, the Malaysia Animal Association launched the red flag movement to help Malaysian pet owners struggling to buy food.

It was inspired by the white flag movement who encouraged Malaysians who needed food aid to raise a white flag outside their homes so others may help.

The movement came about as there has been an increase in the number of pets being dumped on the streets due to their owners’ financial constraints or losing their jobs to the pandemic. – July 11, 2021.