A friend had mentioned our One-Street CNRM programme to Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye during a meeting sometime last week and the Tan Sri was interested to learn more about it. So, I was asked to write about it so that a paper could be handed over to the Tan Sri during a certain event held yesterday in Setia Alam Eco Park.
This is our paper (reproduced below), already submitted to the Tan Sri.
Along with it, I also submitted a report from Pro-Kasih and the Bukit Merah Sterilisation Programme from Singapore.
Now, we hope the Tan Sri will find time to read our proposal and consider its feasibility as an alternative to the catch-and-kill method which has been implemented for decades but has failed to control the stray population.
Doesn't hurt to try, right?
One-Street CNRM in Subang Jaya
AnimalCare Society Petaling, Selangor is happy to invite all residents to participate in our One-Street CNRM in Subang Jaya.
Background The current method of management of stray animals in Malaysia is to capture and kill. However, it has been proven in many countries (as well as our own) that capturing and killing does not solve the problem. Capturing creates a vacuum in the eco-system and by doing so, other strays will recolonise that vacuum, and the problem continues for generations. We strongly believe that a long term solution is via CNRM, which is adapted from TNR, a practice already widely implemented in many other countries. A discussion has been held with a councillor of Subang Jaya and he is supportive of our efforts to spay-neuter. He hopes that in time to come, there will be less complaints from the public regarding the presence of stray animals. Then, the council would not have to capture-and-kill since the councils only act upon complaints from the residents.
Our role and objective now is to get as many residents as we can to participate in our programme with these aims:
1. Control the stray population through CNRM.
2. Reduce the number of complaints from the public once the stray population is under control.
What is CNRM? C = Care
N = Neuter
R = Rehome or Return to colony
M = Manage
Care – We start by caring for the stray animals, ie. taking an interest in their wellbeing and feeding them. Neuter – Bring the animals to our vets for spay-neuter (we pay). Spayed females are ear-notched to indicate that they have been neutered. This prevents them from being re-captured and opened up again. Neutered males are easily identified by the absence of the testicles. Ear-notching of females is compulsory under our CNRM programme. Return to colony – Failing to rehome, the next best option is to return the neutered animals to the colony. Returning them to the same colony helps preserve the eco-system and prevents the re-colonisation by other un-neutered strays from outside. By doing so, the number of stray animals in the colony is maintained as these neutered animals will not breed anymore. They live on until their they pass away naturally. There is no need to kill. Manage – Continue to look after them. Bring them to our vets when they are sick (we subsidise the medical bill). If an animal passes away and a new animal enters the colony, repeat the CNRM process.
One-Street CNRM – An Invitation to Subang Jaya residents. We propose that interested individuals start with the strays animals on their own street.
Here's what you need to do
1. Talk to your neighbours about CNRM, and explain the benefits. (If you prefer that I explain it to them, organise a gathering, and let me know.)
2. Get a few neighbours who are willing to do the catching and/or trapping. You can borrow the traps from your local council. We have two traps to lend to you.
3. We will provide the funds and the clinics for spay-neuter. We have three panel clinics in Subang Jaya. Once the animal is caught, fast the animal for 8 hours, liaise with me immediately to make the appointment for the next day.
4. Bring the animal in to the clinic, and collect the animal by evening. Males can be returned to the colony. Females should be fostered for at least 3 days before being released.
5. We promote RETURN TO COLONY. It is best if the whole street agrees that the spayed-neutered animals (with ears notched) will be allowed to live on and no one will call in to complain about them. Let's aim for 100% support from one street first. If we can't get 100%, then at least reduced complaints? I believe if we explain to our neighbours that neutered animals will not breed anymore, some may be tolerant. Some, not all, but some is better than none.
6. If you could REHOME the animals, that's even better, of course. But we may have to return to colony, to be realistic. It is not so easy to rehome adult animals.
It's easier to talk to a smaller group of people and get their consent. Hence, start with your own street. From one street, we hope the idea catches on to the whole neighbourhood, in time.
What happens to the animals
a. A spayed-neutered community animal will have its ear notched as an indication so that it will not be re-captured. Notching = a small V-cut on its right ear.
b. Pregnant animals will NOT be spayed.
Why we RETURN TO COLONY
i. It is not easy to rehome so many stray animals.
ii. By returning to the colony, we preserve the eco-system by preventing the re-colonisation of unneutered strays. Hence, we return the neutered animals to its original environment to let them live out their natural lives (without breeding).
Interested? Please write to me at chankahyein@gmail.com
If you are not living in Subang Jaya but wish to participate, please do the extra bit by getting a vet who is willing to provide a discount for this programme. Write to me, and if we can, we will either reimburse you (with photos and original receipts) or provide a subsidy based on our rates. Currently, we also have panel vets in Puchong, Klang, Sri Petaling and Taman Melawati who do a small number of cases for rescuers in these locations, funded by us.
Since 31st May 2009, AnimalCare has provided help for 1070 animals:
Free spay-neuter – 508 cases
Medical treatment/surgery – 296 cases
Rehoming – 266 cases
We work with small-time rescuers and feeders who are keen to help the animals on their streets or in their neighbourhood.
AnimalCare is funded by friends, well-wishers and readers of our blog. We have no corporate sponsorship. It does not take that much to start off such a programme. All it takes is the heart to do it, and the passion to persevere.
We strongly encourage you to start off a similar programme in your neighbourhood. Start small. For each animal that is spayed-neutered, HUNDREDS of unwanted births and untold suffering can be prevented.
The stray animals need our help. Please help us to help them. Stray animals are being killed because people complain about them. Stop the complaints, and the killing will stop. We will do our part by controlling the population of the strays through CNRM.
Live and let live, please. This earth belongs to the animals as well.
Our Hope We hope more people will see the need to implement CNRM as a long-term solution to the stray animal problem. Hands-on participation is most appreciated by those who can. For those who cannot, we hope you will support those who can in other ways. To those who find stray animals a nuisance and a pest in your neighbourhood, we appeal for your kind understanding that animals do not know any better and hence, cannot be expected to behave as we want them to; we appeal to your good heart to please not complain as it would cost them their lives. There are other ways to keep the animals from straying into your compound (wire netting, lemon, citrus scents, etc.) Please do not put in a complaint to the local council. Animals will be killed as a result of that one phonecall to complain. Our Appeal to the Local Councils & the Authorities We appeal to the local councils to work together with us by NOT capturing ear-notched animals. If the councils agree, we will ear-notch the males as well so that all spayed-neutered animals can be identified by sight. We appeal to the authorities to use the media to promote a more gracious way of life where humans and animals live peacefully and harmoniously; where humans take the more gracious stand of not harming the animals.
Conclusion CNRM (widely known as TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return)) has been successfully practised in many Western countries as well as in Sri Lanka, Bali, India, Thailand, Singapore, Dubai and Kuwait. It is definitely one of the most humane and compassionate ways for stray animal management.
Stray animals will become community animals where they are cared for and looked after by the residents.
Killing is never a solution to any problem. What goes around, comes around.
Please support our efforts. This earth belongs to the animals too.
Working together for the animals,
Dr Chan Kah Yein
Founder
AnimalCare Society Petaling, Selangor www.myanimalcare.org 20th June 2011
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