Quote:
Originally Posted by Maneki Neko
I want to start by acknowledging that the staff at SPCA Selangor is doing the best they can to help too many animals with too few resources, and bless them for that. Here was my experience adopting a cat there last year:
I picked out a young adult female, and I spoke with several SPCA staff/volunteers. All assured me repeatedly that the cat had been vaccinated and spayed. They encouraged me to take her to my local vet (Brickfields Vet Clinic) to be tested for FIV and feline leukemia.
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From Maneki Neko's post, she clearly had a positive experience with SPCA Selangor. Then again, she seem to be a 'cat-person', whereas my experiences relate directly to the dogs at the shelter.
I think everyone should consider carefully when they adopt the dogs at SPCA Selangor. The problem is not so much with the dogs, but the policies and practises of SPCA. I know that many individuals volunteer hoping to do good for animals - but I doubt many who has worked with dogs in a professional capacity would have a positive experience of the shelter. In other words, if you don't know any better, SPCA is god-send. If you do, you pity the poor sods at the shelter and would not encourage the poor polices and practises of SPCA's shelter programme.
To be clear, I am referring to the work of the shelter - not the other sections of the SPCA Selangor.
Here's my beef: Where is the evaluation of the dogs taken in? If there is no evaluation, how does SPCA know the dogs can be re-homed? If there were character/temperament evaluations, some would pass, others fail. For those that fail, why is SPCA keeping them TOGETHER at the shelter - with all the others capable of being re-homed?
More dogs together - all playing and eating and sleeping together may sound nice just like chocolate cake. In reality, dogs in packs are extremely detrimental to both humans and dogs - agression increases, tendency to be anti-social increases, and accidents (of the biting kind) will happen. Check up the meaning and results of keeping FERAL DOGS.
Does this mean dog-lovers should not adopt from SPCA? No, just be very careful and find out as much possible about the dog/pup you are adopting, IF you believe SPCA has the individuals/volunteers/staff that understands dog temperament/character. If you don't think they do, then you are playing 'Russian roulette' - with teeth and paws.
Before anyone becomes indignant that I should be complaining about SPCA, do yourself a favour. STOP. What's stated above is for the benefit of the dogs, not about me.
Every time issues are raised about the SPCA shelter, the stock answer is no resources (time and trainers). Then either make time or get trainers. If not, stop the shelter service. There are other areas that SPCA can contribute to improve animal welfare, raising awareness and animal-cruelty investigations are but two.
But, to keep dogs for months and years in a closed environment, no space for exercise, no time for human-interaction ('hello and goodbye' does not count), no evaluation of whether the dogs are capable of being re-homed ... it all adds up. SPCA Selangor shelter is no sanctuary for unwanted dogs. It's a huge playground for frustrated feral dogs.
So think carefully and ask the right questions.