The
SSPCA began its work in Kuching in 1959, formed by a small group of expatriate
officers who were moved by the sight of the diseased dogs and sick animals that
roamed the streets. It was legally registered under the Registrar of Societies
as the “Kuching Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (KSPCA) on 11
September 1962.
In
the years following, with the departure of many of its early members, the
Society became inactive but was never de-registered. In September 1975, a group
of expatriates and Kuching residents came together to revive the KSPCA. Their
first meeting was held on the 10th of October at "Eversleigh", the
residence of the then British Council Representative Mr Philips Williams.
Others
who were involved in the committee at that time were Dr Hsiung Kwo Yuen, Mrs Elizabeth
Kok, Mr Chua Siang Cheng, Mdm Florence Foo, DSP Lim Tian Kim, Mr Andy Lo, Mr
Ali Adenan and Miss Celine Foo.
In
1977, the Society’s legal counsel, the late Mr Sahathevan revised the
constitution to better reflect its rules and regulations. The amendments
included a change of name – it became the Sarawak Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals, or SSPCA.
In
the years that followed, this group of dedicated volunteers and their very
active cadre of Junior Members, organized awareness - raising events, rescued
and re-homed stray animals, initiated a pilot neutering scheme, and organized
fundraising events.
They
were also instrumental in reaching an agreement with the local councils in
Kuching to house and care for all the stray animals picked up by these
councils. It’s an agreement which has carried through to this day, and remains
the only such arrangement between an animal welfare organization and local
councils in Malaysia.
Perhaps
their most notable achievement was securing tax-deductible status for the
Society. This has proved an invaluable asset to the Society in its fundraising
efforts.
In
1999, through the generosity of the Sarawak State Government, the SSPCA secured
a 0.6-acre piece of land at 61/2 mile Penrissen Road, Kuching on which to build
its animal shelter.
In
the years since, this little piece of land has served as a refuge, a haven for
thousands of stray, abused and abandoned animals. Some have been fortunate
enough to be given a second chance at life, others have lived out their days in
the loving care of our shelter staff, and many have gone on to the ‘Great
Kennel in the Sky’.
As
their finances improved, they expanded and improved the Shelter facilities and
services to cater for the ever-increasing number of animals brought to their
door. Unfortunately, this also meant having to make sacrifices and utilizing
the exercise/play areas.
As
with all NGOs, committees came and committees went, but the good work
continued. Here is a short list of their achievements:
·
They
ran joint neutering campaigns with the local councils in an effort to curb the
expanding stray population.
·
They
walked hundreds of visitors through their Shelter to educate them about the
need to be more responsible citizens and pet owners.
·
They
organized countless off-site adoption campaigns to increase the chances of their
animals finding new homes.
·
They
responded to the many reports about animal abuse cases.
·
They
invested in the first animal crematorium in Malaysia, so that they could
dispose of animal carcasses in a safe and hygienic manner.
·
They
climbed up trees and down drains to rescue trapped animals in the dead of night.
·
They
braved the flood waters at midnight to take their shelter animals to safety.
·
They
penned millions of words in an effort to raise awareness about Animal Welfare
and to fight for Animal Rights.
·
And
through it all, they enjoyed the support of animal lovers in Kuching and around
the world, through donations of food, equipment and other essentials, as well
as much needed funds that allowed them to keep their shelter doors open.
The
SSPCA at 50
When
the Animal Shelter was built in 1999, it was surrounded by lush green
undergrowth, set well away from housing and commercial areas. 13 years on,
Kuching has well and truly arrived at their doorstep. Nothing says, “It’s time
to move the animals” better than having a ‘Pizza Hut’ as your neighbor!
The
Shelter had a very unfortunate incident when they experienced major flooding
due to a whole day of heavy rain on Jan 11, 2011.Countless rescued animals were
trapped throughout the ordeal. The lucky ones were able to climb to higher
ground while the smaller and weaker ones struggled to keep from drowning. SSPCA
committee members and volunteers rushed to the place in the middle of the night
to save lives. It was indeed a sad sight. Staff and volunteers carried out a
cleaning up event nonetheless. The tragedy strengthened many hearts, including
those of the animals.
In
2012, SSPCA assisted in the first successful prosecution of animal abuse in
Sarawak, something for all of us to take pride and learn from. Even so, all
citizens are encouraged to not just stop there as we know all four-legged
creatures deserve to have equal rights to live. They are no different from
humans in a lot of ways.
Their
biggest birthday wish is to secure a new and larger piece of land, away from
development, on which to build a state-of-the-art Animal Shelter that can
continue to serve the needs of the animals and people of Kuching for the next
50 years, and beyond.
That’s
why they are channeling all their efforts this year to secure that piece of
paradise and to raise funds to build and equip their new shelter. This is where
you, the good people of Malaysia and beyond come in. They need you to turn out
in huge numbers for the events that they have lined-up in this year and 2013, and
to dig deep into your generous hearts (and pockets!) to help them raise the RM
1.5 million they need.
For more info, surf to:
http://www.sspca.sarawak.com.my/modules/web/index.php?menu_id=0&sub_id=1
Labels: Animal Shelter, Animal Welfare, Cats, Dogs, Kuching, sarawak SPCA
