Selangor government wants people to adopt animals, hopes move will reduce stray animals
PETALING JAYA: Buying your pet cat or dog from a store will no longer be possible under new regulations planned by the Selangor government.
In an effort to encourage more people to adopt rather than buy pets, the state is considering banning all pet stores from selling cats and dogs.
“We are still finalizing the plan. Pet stores may sell pet food instead. In my constituency, Kinrara, we have a weekly pet adoption program and around 20 pets are adopted each month.
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“If all local councils implement such programs, we can help reduce the rate of pet abandonment,” state chief executive Ng Sze Han said at the Pengurusan Anjing Terbiar Forum Selangor 2023.
The forum, organized by the Subang Jaya Municipal Council, was attended by representatives from local councils and non-governmental organizations representing animal groups.
The announcement of the new chairman of the local government, public transport and village development committee was welcomed by many pet lovers.
Former pet store owner Amy Lau welcomed the possible ban, saying she voluntarily stopped selling animals and even closed her business 10 years ago.
“Most of my pet buyers were young people. They would buy pets for their girlfriend or boyfriend, then lose interest and abandon the animal.
“I see that more and more pet stores are also selling fewer animals. Those who want to buy can go to reliable breeders or adopt animals,” she said.
Lau said some of the animals sold in stores might come from irresponsible breeders.
“These animals are kept in cages for many years for the sole purpose of breeding and cannot even walk properly. This is animal cruelty,” Lau said.
Jocelyn Ng, owner of an eight-year-old husky, said pet stores were not the preferred place to get purebred dogs and so a ban would not make any difference.
“We don’t fully trust these traders. They can simply claim that an animal is a purebred. We dog lovers look for responsible breeders that we can buy from,” she said.
Jocelyn got her husky, named Isseymiyake, from a trusted friend.
Hayathi Ismail also said that backyard breeders should be banned.
“They are the guilty ones. They advertise their pets on social media and also sell them to pet stores,” she said.
Meanwhile, Sze Han also said the state government had recommended all local councils to use the “more humane” net method to catch stray dogs.
He added that the looping method could only be used in hard-to-reach places, such as under vehicles, small holes or drains.
The net method, an innovation by Sabak Bernam District Council, allows dog catchers to transport the animals in vehicles and not drag them by their necks.
The Selangor government is also in the final stages of launching an international standard fur shelter on a 1.2ha plot of land, he said.
Sze Han said the Fur Shelter would promote adoption, education and raise funds sustainably through various activities.
As of May 31, the Subang Jaya Municipal Council had recorded 1,000 complaints about dogs, while the Sabak Bernam District Council had recorded 3,000.