Woof Meow Charity Carnival - Dec 12

After a couple of postponements, WoofMeow Charity Carnival is finally here. Kindly take note that the final confirmed date for this event is Dec 12, 2009 and not Nov 7 as printed on the poster below. Full details below.

Host: Shyam and Friends
Type: Causes - Fundraiser
Network:Global
Date: Saturday, December 12, 2009
Time: 10:00am - 6:00pm
Location:Sports Plaza, PJ
Street: Lot 14, Jalan Bersatu, Seksyen 13/4
City/Town: Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
Phone: 0196652387
Email: shyam@voize.my

Note below from Shyam Priah:

This fundraising event is being held to raise much needed funds to help independent pet rescuers and animal welfare organizations to continue with their efforts with regards to animal welfare issues in Malaysia. Our recipients are Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better and Furry Friend Farm, two animal shelters in Malaysia which practice No-Kill policy; Malaysian Dog Deserve Better (MDDB) & Furry Friend Farm (FFF).

Working closely hand in hand with each other in educating the Malaysian public in the areas of pet care, importance of spaying and all other aspects of raising a pet the right way, these independent organizations often run low on funds, proving a hindrance to their efforts.

The event will also see a celebrity car wash with the radio and TV personalities. Some of the activities planned out on the day would be charity car wash, jumble sale, music and dance workshops, pet adoption drive and also the largest honorary tribute ever done for pets in Malaysia.

Volunteers needed to have lots of fun with soap suds and water!

Our celebrity car wash will be headed by none other than Daphne Iking and her friends!!

Farewell Tribute To Hitam From Malay Mail!

The Malay Mail
November 25, 2009

SABRINA AND A DOG NAMED HITAM
By Ian Pereira

THE last time Sabrina Yeap bade farewell to Hitam, she told him he was a good boy and that she would visit him every month.

Hitam responded by wagging his tail and licking her right shoulder, as if to say, “I love you and thank you.”

That was their last meeting on Sept 29, at a fish farm off the Pulau Selat Kering mangrove island. Seven days later Hitam died from pneumonia, after being sent back to the fish farm on the demand of the farm owner.

Today Hitam evokes sweet memories for Sabrina who took care of the welfare of the stray dog that had so courageously assisted in her rescue mission to bring all the remaining dogs who were stranded and left to die on the mangrove island.

Hitam, who touched the hearts of dog and animal lovers all over Malaysia, left a beautiful memory that Sabrina felt the canine telling her: “No matter how deep my sleep, I shall hear you, and not all the power of death can keep my spirit from wagging a grateful tail.” [Caption for photo above: Hitam in the tender arms of Sabrina days before he died]

Hitam was supported by the Furry Friends Farm, a private organisation, led by Sabrina that rescued and cared of abused and abandoned stray dogs and cats.

The farm is a two-acre shelter for the abused and abandoned stray animals rescued in Selangor.

The rescued strays are given immediate medical attention, vaccinated, de-wormed, with heart-worm prevention and neutered.

Says Sabrina of her animal caring mission: “I can’t believe there is a heaven without dogs” and of the animal her considered opinion is “Dogs do more for people than people do for one another.”

“They don’t ask for anything in return. They are not part of today's great “I want.” Suddenly, Sabrina has become the talisman of dog lovers throughout Malaysia following her rescue mission of hundreds of dogs abandoned on an island near Pulau Ketam earlier this year.

Hitam, the brave jet black mongrel, died tragically, aged four-and-a-half years (almost 35 in human years) and was in the prime of his life, with many bones left to bury, and many carpets left to stain.

Hitam was unquestionably the most popular dog in Malaysia. Once his plight was made known, many emails and phone calls were received from animal lovers throughout Malaysia, sending their condolences. Many addressed the mail simply: To Hitam, the Black Beauty of Furry Friends Farm.

According to Sabrina, Hitam’s hobbies included running around to explore and swimming. With his warm and friendly nature Hitam did get along well with his other “inmates” during his short stay at the Furry Friends Farm at Kundang, Selangor, that came complete with basic sheltered areas for dogs, a kitchen, a storeroom and a cattery. Hitam is survived by his best friend Kuning, who was rescued along with him and who is today recuperating from a minor kidney malfunction.

After Hitam and Kuning were plucked from the jaws of death at Pulau Selat Kering in early May, they helped greatly in the evacuation of all the stray dogs on Pulau Selat Kering mangrove island.The dogs were all weak and malnourished almost to the point of death.

Following his death, Hitam was bestowed full honours by both human and canine admirers. When Hitam was laid to rest at Furry Friends Farm, Kuning and most of the other dogs, farm volunteers Chetz Yusof, Hoe Choy Lin, his wife Sharon, Miza Nordin, Marianne and Sabrina were present at his funeral service.

Sabrina and most of her fellow farm volunteers rose to their feet in observing a moment of barking.

Her strong affiliation and love for dogs stems from her belief that dogs are wiser than man. “They do not set great store upon things.

“They do not waste their day hoarding property. They do not ruin their sleep worrying about how to keep the objects they have and obtain the objects they have not,” added Sabrina, 40, a partime mathematics and science teacher.

Two months ago, Hitam arrived at the Furry Friends Farm uncared and unloved.

Now, as he departed, Sabrina wept beside his grave.

If you appreciate this story above please go to this Malay Mail link and post a comment of appreciation to the journalist. Thank you. http://www.mmail.com.my/content/19902-sabrina-and-dog-named-hitam

Zoo Negara - A Torture Chamber For Animals

Below is a report from PETA. Please click on this link below to see each enclosure and how each specie of animal is suffering and at the end of the report read what you can do to help:

http://www.petaasiapacific.com/feature-zoo-
negara.asp?c=pap_enews

At a first glance, Zoo Negara—set in the Malaysian jungle—looks like a natural setting for the animals who live there, but a closer look at the outdated enclosures (many of which were originally built in the 1980s) reveals environments that can never compare to the lush jungles, forests, grasslands, rivers, and oceans these animals call home.

Three hippos spend their miserable lives in a tiny enclosure, no bigger than your average studio apartment. A group of Malaysian sun bears constantly pant and pace around a barren enclosure, the grass worn down from their endless circles. One brown bear, who in the wild would live in cool climates like those in Russia and Canada, throws himself repeatedly against the side of his enclosure—literally having been driven insane from his confinement and boredom—while his cagemate paces. These repetitive, abnormal, and often self-destructive behaviors are called "zoochosis."

Near the front of the zoo, two Malaysian elephants are confined to a barren dirt enclosure; their only enrichment is a log and an old tire. One of the elephants is frequently chained by two of his legs—he can only move a few inches in any direction and spends his time swaying his head from side to side. Wild elephant herds roam up to 80 kilometers a day—activity that is essential to their well-being—but the entire Zoo Negara measures only 0.5 square kilometers. In the wild, these elephants would graze, pluck fruit and leaves from trees, take mud baths, and spend hours a day swimming and playing in the water.

An Oxford University study based on four decades of observing animals in captivity and in the wild found that animals such as lions, tigers, and cheetahs "show the most evidence of stress and/or psychological dysfunction in captivity" and concluded that "the keeping of naturally wide-ranging carnivores should be either fundamentally improved or phased out." Zoo Negara houses several lions, tigers, and jaguars—all of whom live in enclosures that can never meet their natural needs to roam, hunt, and play.

Zoos claim that they educate people and preserve species, but they rarely succeed on either count. Zoos present visitors with a distorted view of wildlife. Even the biggest zoos cannot provide the space, exercise, privacy, or mental stimulation needed by the animals they imprison, much less fulfill their other complex needs.
You Can Help Animals in Zoos

* Never patronize any zoo or animal display. Take our pledge to boycott zoos and promise never to support a business that profits off the confinement of animals.
* Please support our important work to help all animals. Make a donation today.
* Watch "To Animals, It's Not Entertainment" and send it to friends.
* Share this information with your friends on your Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and Multiply pages.

Hitam's Memorial Service Was Held On Oct 24

THE STAR NEWSPAPER

Sunday October 25, 2009

CANINE RESCUER, HITAM, DIES OF POISONING

By WANI MUTHIAH


PORT KLANG: Animal activists are in shock over the death of Hitam, the dog that was instrumental in saving the lives of many other canines dumped on Pulau Selat Kering recently.

Hitam, who died early this month, is believed to have been poisoned.

Hitam and “rescue partner” Kuning made headlines when they lured other dogs from the desolate island to a nearby floating fish farm.

The rescue operation was conducted by canine sanctuary Furry Friends Farm (FFF) and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal.

Hitam and Kuning were believed to be among the first batch of dogs dumped on Pulau Selat Kering by Pulau Ketam residents.

Sorry Hitam's Memorial Service wrongly stated as being held on Nov 4th in the Invite. Service is over and was held on Oct 24, 2009. For updates on Memorial Service please go to : http://www.furryfriendsfarm.org/

Also remember to check out November's Her World magazine as Furry Friend's Farm is featured in it.

Hitam's Memorial - Date Should Be Nov 4th

Be Careful Where You Board Your Pets

Please read email below received by RSC. Grieving Ogy wants to warn others of this shop so that they will not suffer her fate. To guardians of all pets, please check thoroughly the boarding place and DO NOT board unless you know the boarder well or he or she has come highly recommended by people you trust.















"I have a domestic medium hair cat that I have taken care since he was 3 mths old when the original owner put him up for adoption. It has been 14 months now and recently on 19/9/009 I sent him for 5 days boarding at a pet shop in my area during Raya holidays. During delivery, the owner personally picked up my cat from me.

After 5 days I came back to pick him up and was told by her female staff that she had not seen my missing cat ever since she started work on Sunday 20/9/2009. When I called the owner, she could not remember my cat.















She didn't even realise that my cat had gone missing. She kept telling me how busy she was and blamed it on her male staff to whom she passed my cat to be sent upstairs to where the 'boarding' is supposed to be, on the 1st floor.

That means since the day she collected my cat from me, she has not even once checked on him upstairs after handing over to her male staff. My cat has been missing for more than 4 days and no one noticed? Apparently, the male staff has resigned from the shop too...

I've called asking her to find my lost cat...she said she'll find him...its has been 11 days now and my cat is still lost. I spoke to her yesterday asking her to bear the cost of printing colour flyers, poster and the reward..if found.

She refused to pay and dared to offer me another cat. She must be joking !!! How can she easily offer me another cat as if I'd lost my hand phone??? This is my pet she's talking about!!! The one I took care with such love, only fed him Royal Canine or Iams ...whom we bathe every Sunday and sleeps on my son's bed during daytime ...he's my baby, my angel ...just look at the attached photos..

I'm writing to u asking what other option do I have against this unscrupulous pet shop to force them to be more responsible and humane towards other people's pets in the future...I've printed flyers to be distributed around the neighbourhood in the hope of reuniting back with my beloved Caspian. Every night without fail, we drive around the area looking for him..

This is name of the petshop:

MAPS PETWORLD
No. 22G, Jalan Anggerik Vanilla R 31/R
Kota Kemuning 40460
Shah Alam

Branches:

KLINIK HAIWAN MAPS PETWORLD
No. 21, Kawasan 5
Taman Chi Liung
40100 Klang

No.9177 Jalan Negara
Taman Melawati
53100 Kuala Lumpur

By the way, MAPS PETWORLD Kota Kemuning doesn't even have a proper boarding facilities, boarding was to be on the 1st floor which looked more like abandoned office space with debris n garbage all over and it was very filthy, stuffy and smelly to be called “boarding”..

Yours truly,
Ogy, Sept 30, 2009.

Celebrate World Animal Day with Furry Friends Farm!

Dog Lover Needs More Time To Set Up Animal Sanctuary

Article below from STREETS, NST August 26 August 2009

DOG LOVER NEEDS MORE TIME TO SET UP ANIMAL SANCTUARY

KUALA LUMPUR: A woman's compassion for stray dogs has put her in a bind.

The 68-year-old, who has turned the grounds of her bungalow into a temporary shelter for stray dogs, is now in a dilemma following complaints from some of her neighbours.

Chan Mee Fah said she was aware that some of her neighbours had complained about the dogs' barking and howling and she was looking for a piece of land outside the city to relocate the dogs.

"I have been planning to move out. I am looking for a place where the dogs can run freely without causing problems to anyone. I am in the midst of identifying a plot of land and I am estimating the move to be finalised in a year-and-a-half as it will take a few months to acquire the land and to set up the sanctuary," she said.

Chan declined to reveal the number of dogs in her house compound but a neighbour who complained to Streets claimed that there were at least 45 dogs.

The neighbour, who only wanted to be known as Eu, said she had been unable to rent out her double-storey bungalow due to the excessive barking from the dogs.

Eu said she had been suffering a RM7,000 loss in monthly rental.

Her earlier tenant who worked for an embassy here moved out after complaining about the din caused by the dogs.

"The tenant complained that his family was forced to keep their windows closed all the time to shut out the noise.

"Those who came to view my house were also put off by the dogs' incessant barking."

Chan said she had gone as far as Ulu Yam, Semenyih, Sepang, Bentong and Sungai Buloh to look for a suitable piece of agricultural land. She said she would need a plot of land measuring 0.8ha and she was prepared to pay about RM300,000 for it.

Asked why she kept so many dogs, Chan said most of the dogs were rescued by pet rescuers who later had difficulty finding suitable homes for them.

The dogs are housed in wooden kennels in her garden and porch area.

Chan began taking in the dogs in the 1980s after hearing that the Society For The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) was putting several dogs down due to lack of space.

"Gradually, the number grew and I built comfortable wooden kennels for the dogs to stay in. The kennels cost me about RM300,000. Now, my home functions as a boarding house for dogs that nobody wants to adopt."

Chan, a retiree, spends about RM50,000 a month to feed, spay and neuter the canines as well as hire workers to help take care of them.

Chan's case brings to mind another similar situation involving another retiree Tan Tiam Seng, 65, who got into trouble with the authorities after it was discovered that he had more than 15 dogs at his rented single-storey terrace house in Taman Sri Segambut.

It was reported last month that Tan had rescued the strays in his neighbourhood and took them home and cared for them.

Tan's neighbours complained about the foul stench and claimed that the common drains were clogged with the dogs' faeces.

He was subsequently forced to temporarily placed his pets at a factory belonging to a friend. Tan makes daily visits to the factory to ensure that the dogs are well taken care off by workers he had hired to feed and bathe them.

City Hall's rules permits only one dog for every household.

Meanwhile, SPCA public relations officer Jacinta Johnson asked the authorities not to take action against Chan but to give her time to relocate the dogs.

"Chan is a charitable person who has been helping the society. She adopts dogs from us occasionally, alleviating our burden.

"We know that Chan takes good care of the dogs and feeds them well. She also goes a step further by sponsoring dogs rescued by other people and helping pet rescuers financially if the dogs need medical treatment."

Johnson said Chan, a member of the SPCA, also sponsored part of an SPCA employee's salary and donates annually to the society.

SAM Wants Probe Into Zoo Negara's Mismanagement

Below is a letter from Sahabat Alam Malaysia published in Malaysia Kini:

Zoo Negara's problems making news headlines isn't anything new. Similar issues have surfaced before in the past, with the Malaysian Zoological Society refuting allegations of poor management.

There have been reports in 2003 of pygmy hippotamuses, penguins, tigers, antelopes, zebras and giraffes dying from neglect and poor decision-making.

The society seems incapable of managing the zoo. What difference will it make if the government gives it more funds? Whatever the outcome, things do not look bright for the zoo's future.

Animals in zoos are completely dependent on people. When funds fall short or bad management practices prevail, it is always the animals who suffer or die.

Forget about pride! A zoo that is struggling to stay open, and is unable to look after its animals adequately, should be scheduled for closure.

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) is shocked and disturbed to learn of the 'collectors' syndrome' affecting its management that is now setting its sights on a proposed aviary, insectariums, fish aquarium, pygmy elephants and the latest tropical animals.

The zoo's perception is that new attractions will increase gate collections. Invariably, a well-managed zoo shows the unmistakable stamp of a knowledgeable director, not by having a world-class zoo but in the consideration shown towards the comfort, both physical and mental, of its stock.

Depending upon size, display space, and available funds, a wise zoo director keeps his inventory within limits.

The phenomenon of listless, bored animals is a crucial problem in zoos and the challenge is to keep them stimulated. Zoo Negara should focus improving upon its animal welfare further and do away with animals in cages.

Enrichment programmes have been initiated recently, but there is more to it than refurbishing an animal's exhibit. It needs to encompass foraging behaviour, mental stimulation, cognitive ability and socialising.

The challenge faced by Zoo Negara is improving the lives of the zoo inhabitants. For now it should concentrate on vast improvements to its remaining collections to reduce deaths.

SAM urges a full probe be made by the Ministry of Natural Resources and findings be revealed to the public. The zoo should be competent, accountable and transparent in all its actions and be held accountable for all this malaise.

We call on the MACC to reveal its findings of the on-going investigations of the zoo's mismanagement without any cover-up whatsoever.

A zoo legislation to govern all animal establishments including aquariums, reptile and butterfly farms should be incorporated into the amended Wildlife Protection Act with a policy document drawn up in close consultation with animal welfare groups.

By S M Mohd Idris, the president of Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM)

Stop the Construction of Primate Testing Facilities in Malaysia!

Appeal from PETA:
Please click here to sign letter calling on Malaysian government to HALT NEGOTIATIONS FOR PRIMATE TESTING FACILITIES

http://action.petaasiapacific.com/ea-campaign/clientcampaign.do?ea.client.id=110&ea.campaign.id=3834&ea.param.extras=ea_source_code:papadvmtfcenews~c=pap_enews