Seberang Perai SPCA cares for more than 1,700 animals at its 1.6-hectare shelter in Juru, Bukit Mertajam, and refuses to put any of them down. Chairman Lew Wen Teik told Free Malaysia Today that euthanasia remains a red line for the team, even as overcrowding pushes operational costs to about RM120,000 a month.
The shelter currently houses 1,400 dogs and 350 cats. Most dogs arrive as strays surrendered by the Seberang Perai City Council after being held at its pounds. The animals get vaccinated, neutered, and cared for on-site. The Star reported that only 10 to 20 animals find new homes each month, while far more arrive than leave.
“Our mission and objective as animal lovers are to save, not to kill,” Lew said. “We believe that this is a sanctuary for all injured or diseased animals that come here. It is not a place for them to die. It is a place for them to continue living.”
Treasurer and pound manager Richard Ong said the facility functions as a hospital for abandoned animals with deformities and strays involved in road accidents. Volunteers nurse mildly sick animals themselves, only taking complicated cases to veterinary clinics and paying for treatment out of their own pockets.
The Seberang Perai SPCA was established in 2005 by its founding chairman, the late Tan Kah Chuah, with a group of animal lovers to rescue and shelter abandoned animals in the district. The group obtained the Juru land from the Seberang Perai city council under an agreement to take in stray animals surrendered by the local authority.
Operating the shelter is expensive. Food costs about RM75,000 a month, with the facility cooking 1,200kg of food daily at an average of RM2,500 a day. Water runs about RM1,600 a month, medication about RM10,000, and up to RM30,000 during spikes in sick and injured animals. Staff salaries total around RM15,000. Ong said monthly costs can reach RM120,000 when facility maintenance and rent are included.
Both Lew and Ong dismissed the misconception that the shelter is fully funded by the government, saying it appeals to the state and federal government and the public for donations. “Both of us are basically the biggest beggars out there,” joked Lew.
The shelter also plans to open a dog park on 0.4 hectares of unused land at the site, inspired by a similar facility in Bandar Utama, Selangor. The Star reported that the 0.2-hectare park will feature artificial turf, improved drainage, pet play equipment, gazebos, and a swimming pool for dogs, at an estimated cost of RM15,000.
Beyond the shelter, Penang has adopted a broader no-kill approach to stray management. The Seberang Perai city council works with four registered animal welfare groups implementing Trap-Neuter-Return-Manage programmes at about 60 locations across the district. On the island, the Penang Island City Council’s TNR programme has sterilised more than 8,000 free-roaming dogs since 2018.
The Seberang Perai SPCA currently has just 10 active volunteers, including three who work as round-the-clock animal rescuers. The shelter is seeking more volunteers and adopters. Those interested may contact the facility at 017-476-8660 or 017-470-3383, or visit its Facebook page. Donations can be made through OCBC Bank account 731-123-206-7.
