Second Chance: Neuter your dogs

Second Chance will hold an adoption drive at the IOI Mall in Puchong this Sunday Oct 7th from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The dog shelter has been inundated in the past month with young puppies thrown away, some in poor condition and others so young their eyes are not even opened.

Members of the public keen to adopt puppies are invited to attend the function and adopt a pup.

Second Chance, an Independent animal rescue group, is conducting the drive with the hope of relaying the message of responsible pet ownership through neutering.

It also wishes to appeal to members of the public not to treat animals like trash and dump them when they feel the need is not there.

Every year, irresponsible pet owners abandon animals that they no longer want.

The reasons may be financial or practical, but either way, these innocent animals suffer.  Irresponsible pet owners are the number one reason.

People buy puppies on a whim and when they grow big, they don’t seem cute any more.

They don’t spay or neuter their pets. Other times, they don’t know how to raise a puppy into a healthy dog.

They don’t take the time to learn about the breed they bought and they allow their dogs to run lose.

Citizen Journalists Malaysia (CJMY) contacted Second Chance coordinator Tracy Ho who said, “It is so shocking and sad that there are people out there who care so little for their pets that they fling them out like a piece of trash.”

She added, “We appeal to pet owners to be responsible and neuter their animals to prevent any unwanted litters.”

Ho continued,” People do not care to neuter their dogs maybe they do not understand that dogs need to be neutered. It results in a lot of unwanted pups they cannot keep.

There are several instances of pups tossed into the river or put in gunny sacks and dumped. People’s mind set regarding dogs need to be changed and they should show compassion towards them.”

Set up in 2009 by a group of volunteers, Second Chance is committed to the welfare of homeless animals by rescue and re-homing, as well as neutering programs and promotion of foster care.

Dog shelters have limited capacity and it costs a lot to upkeep a shelter. Funds and manpower are usual problems.

Ho said the present shelter is way too overcrowded with some 200 dogs and pups that it cannot provide proper care for such young pups.

To make matters worse, the shelter will be evicted in a few months for development and Second Chance is urgently raising funds to build a new shelter in Hulu Langat.

She appealed for volunteers who can help out at the shelter or foster young puppies.

CJMY spoke to Esther Chin, 38 a dog lover. “I don’t understand how some people can be so cruel. My mother adopted two stray dogs and we’ve had them for 11 years.

Too many people want instant gratification. They have no patience.  As soon as they see that their dogs are not as cute as puppies, they dump them.”

Another dog lover CJMY spoke to was Christy Loh, an audit executive, “ I also adopted a dog for more than ten years. But when it died, I did not have the heart to adopt another dog. Dogs are so intelligent and such good companions.”

Second Chance welcomes donations for the new shelter. Donations in kind especially dry and canned dog food, rice, cages and playpens are welcomed.

For further enquiries, readers may Tracy at 016-3323382, Ivy at 012-3937217, Mei Leng at 012-9761958, Kim at 012-9192263, Apple 012-3862288, Hui Ling 012-6952128 and Alice at 013-8113787. Go to Secong Chance website for details or email to [email protected]