.jpg "MBSP Mayor Datuk Rozali Mohamud said this is part of the city council’s initiative to reduce the number of stray dogs on the mainland. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin")
SEBERANG PERAI, Dec 21 — The Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP) today signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ipoh Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) to implement a trap, neuter and release management (TNR-M) programme.
MBSP Mayor Datuk Rozali Mohamud said this is part of the city council’s initiative to reduce the number of stray dogs on the mainland.
“We have implemented several initiatives to reduce the number of stray dogs in public areas and this TNR-M programme is part of our Seberang Perai Corporate Priorities 2018 — 2022,” he said.
He said the collaboration with ISPCA will be for two years, starting from January 1, 2021 and ending on January 1, 2023.
“This programme will be held on a monthly basis with a goal of neutering 5,000 stray dogs and cats,” he said.
Central Seberang Perai was identified as the first location to start the programme due to a high number of complaints on strays there, he said.
Rozali said as of November this year, MBSP had received a total 548 complaints on stray dogs in Central Seberang Perai followed by 389 complaints in North Seberang Perai and 343 complaints in South Seberang Perai.
He said the city council chose to collaborate with ISPCA on the project based on the organisation’s success in implementing a similar programme in Ipoh together with Ipoh City Council.
He said ISPCA will also be offering public awareness services to educate the public on how to care for their pets to reduce the number of strays in the streets.
“We will also be handing out flyers and conducting briefing sessions to explain the concept behind this programme,” he said.
He hoped that the programme would successfully reduce the number of strays in Seberang Perai.