SSPCA president says fees for taking in stray animals not enough to cover cost

KUCHING: The ‘steep fee’ of RM160 imposed by Sarawak Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) on local councils is the monthly handover fee and only comes into effect for the 16th animal for that month.

“For the first 15 animals, it’s RM90 each,” said SSPCA president Datin Dona Drury-Wee yesterday.

She was responding to a statement by Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) chairman Lo Khere Chieng, who said in an article published yesterday that some of the stray dogs caught would be sent to SSPCA and each dog delivered will cost the council RM160.

Wee said the RM90 and subsequent RM160 fees only cover a fraction of the full expenses. Previously, the fees were lower but SSPCA had to adjust due to increasing costs.

“We hold the dog for 30 days. Food cost RM4 a day per dog. That’s already RM120. Each animal gets three standard vaccinations at RM25 per shot. To add rabies vaccination means at least an extra RM50.”

Before any animal leaves the shelter to a new home, they have to be neutered at a cost of RM90 per male and between RM250 to RM400 for females, depending on whether or not they were pregnant.

“It also costs RM30,000 per month to run the shelter,” Wee reminded.

She added that SSPCA is appalled to learn that MPP is also banishing stray dogs ‘up country’.

“This is irresponsible and just shifts the problem to someone else. Dogs can breed anywhere.”

Earlier, SSPCA already informed the councils that collecting all strays from an area will encourage new strays to come and fill in the vacuum, especially when there is a food source.

With rabies in Sarawak, it is best to adopt the capture-neutervaccinate-return (CNVR) policy, and prevent migration of dogs into other areas.