KLANG: Tengku Permaisuri Selangor, Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin, has voiced her opposition to the Shah Alam City Council’s (MBSA) upcoming stray dog hunt scheduled for April 22-24.
In a statement shared on the Selangor Royal Office Facebook page, Tengku Permaisuri expressed her dismay at the council’s plan to capture street dogs.
“I have consistently expressed my strong disagreement with the catch-and-destroy approach adopted by any local authority, including MBSA,” Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin stated in her post, advocating for alternative methods such as neutering to manage the stray population.
She proposed that, in addition to implementing widespread neutering programs, local authorities could collaborate with animal lovers to establish shelters for strays in every residential area.
“Local councils should mandate housing developers to construct such shelters,” she added.
Tengku Permaisuri emphasized the need for a review of the Ministry of Local Government Development circular on the standard operating procedure for culling stray dogs to ensure its relevance to the current context.
“I sincerely hope that efforts to safeguard the welfare of stray animals will be sustained and not merely temporary,” she remarked.
As the patron of the SPCA’s Stray Free Selangor (SFS) initiative, Tengku Permaisuri urged local councils to explore holistic approaches in managing strays.
MBSA recently announced plans for a dog hunt involving volunteers from targeted areas, including Setia Utama 1, Alam Nusantara, Setia Eco Park, Suria Hill, Setia Prima, Setia Taipan, and commercial areas in Setia Prima and Setia Indah. However, following criticism from animal welfare groups, MBSA stated that captured dogs would be transferred to Paws Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) for temporary housing and potential reclamation.
PAWS, however, clarified that it had no involvement in the operation and would not accept any canines caught in the dog hunt.
Dr. Chan Kah Yein, founder of AnimalCare Society, commended Tengku Permaisuri’s intervention and urged local authorities to heed her advice in managing street animals compassionately.
“We extend our sincere appreciation to Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin for her compassionate and timely guidance to all local councils regarding the management of street animals,” Dr. Chan remarked, hoping for a shift towards more humane approaches in addressing the issue.
