Categories: PETS

Kuching South working on subsidised dog-neutering programme

Wee walks a participant’s dog, as SSPCA president Datin Dona Drury Wee (left) looks on.

KUCHING (Oct 15): Kuching South City Council (MBKS) is working on a collaboration with the Sarawak Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) and Sarawak Veterinary Association to offer subsidised neutering programme for pet dogs, said Datuk Wee Hong Seng.

The Kuching South mayor said MBKS has a long-standing working relationship with SSPCA with many collaborations established over the years.

“As a result of this collaboration, we are now in the process of studying a proposal that SSPCA is helping us on, to work with the veterinary association to offer a long-term subsidised neutering programme for owned dogs as a humane and internationally accepted method for dealing with the current abandoned and stray dog problem in Kuching,” he said.

A Cane Corso and Beagle are introduced to each other.

Wee said this when officiating at the ‘Wiggle Waggle Walk’ event, held in conjunction with the Asia for Animals Conference 2023, at MBKS Hokkien Garden, Jalan Padungan here yesterday.

The mayor stressed the council’s goal of reducing cases of rabies through dog vaccinations, adding MBKS is also working with SSPCA to provide better enforcement of the council’s by-laws in regards to dog licensing.

“We would like to remind pet owners that their dogs must not be allowed to roam the streets freely as this is against MBKS by-laws,” he said.

An interfaith blessing ceremony is conducted for pet dogs as part of the ‘Wiggle Waggle Walk’.

He also said a more detailed survey will be conducted with SSPCA soon to collect data on the number of pets that have been vaccinated against rabies, as well as on the possibility of carrying out a joint neutering programme.

On the event, Wee said MBKS was pleased to be part of ‘Wiggle Waggle Walk’, which was held with the objective of working together to help abused and abandoned animals.

“Perhaps in the future we can hold more such joint events, where we can also encourage dog owners to walk their dogs on a leash and also learn to scoop their poop so that other members of the public do not object to having dogs in their park.”

The event also saw an interfaith blessing ceremony held for the dogs.

A monk performs a blessing for a dog at the event.