Saturday, January 24, 2009

Try to find homes for unwanted animals

The Electric New Paper :

Try to find homes for unwanted animals

I REFER to the letter, 'Cats are fine, but spare thought for other animals too' (The New Paper, 14 Jan) in which the writer Mr Mohd Amiruddin Bin Reduan urged the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) to revise the current system of putting unsterilised cats to sleep.
24 January 2009

I REFER to the letter, 'Cats are fine, but spare thought for other animals too' (The New Paper, 14 Jan) in which the writer Mr Mohd Amiruddin Bin Reduan urged the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) to revise the current system of putting unsterilised cats to sleep.

We thank the writer for his concerns and for promoting kindness and respect to animals.

SPCA agrees wholeheartedly with him that people should be more tolerant towards our fellow earthlings.

For the record, the SPCA does not handle nuisance complaints about stray animals; neither does the SPCA round up strays that are surviving and thriving in our environment.

We believe that sterilisation of strays is the humane and effective solution to helping solve the overpopulation problem.

If the SPCA had a choice, we would not put animals to sleep other than those that are chronically ill, or dying.

The situation is such though, that we are the only organisation receiving hundreds

(about 700) of unwanted animals (pets and strays) each month, including cats, dogs, rabbits and hamsters.

In view of the large number of animals coming in to the SPCA, we have a selection criteria for adoption based on health, temperament, age and space. Sadly, those that do not meet this adoption criteria will be put to sleep.

SPCA is appealing to the public (pet owners and those who find a stray animal) to find a new owner/home for an animal they cannot keep rather than to bring it to the SPCA, where the chances are slim that the animal will be selected for adoption.

DEIRDRE MOSS (MS)
EXECUTIVE OFFICER
SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS