KUALA LUMPUR, March 14 — The Perak government will gazette land for use by animal welfare organisations as a long-term plan to solve the problem of strays in the state.
State Local Government Committee chairman Sandrea Ng Shy Ching said under the plan, the organisations have been tasked to look for suitable land for the state will gazette it for use by them as shelter grounds.
“The state will charge them a nominal fee and appoint them as supervisor of the site,” she said after visiting the Perak Stadium Ramadan bazaar.
Currently, the state is working with three animal welfare organisations in Ipoh and one had reverted on the land they found.
“But they later found the land was not suitable to set up a shelter,” she said, adding that the criterion is the land must be away from residential areas.
Ng said the state was aware many animal welfare organisations and feeders have spayed or neutered strays but there are still complaints from many on strays roaming residential areas.
“That is why we think if we can have more shelters, that will be helpful. But we will need to get the NGOs to help us look after the shelters,” she added.
On the rental arrears by the Ipoh Society for the Prevention of Cruelty Against Animals (ISPCA), Ng said the state Land and Mines Department and the Batu Gajah Land Office are still looking into the matter.
“ISPCA have submitted an appeal to the state government for consideration. So far there is no conclusion yet and we are still processing the matter.”
It was reported last September that after being in operation for nearly four decades, ISPCA faces closure for its Simpang Pulai shelter.
Society president Ricky Soong said the reason for closing down the shelter was payment owed to the Batu Gajah Land Office totalling a whopping RM33,170 in rental for the 0.49 hectare site.
Soong said the amount was from annual rental of RM5,528 from 2018 to 2023.
