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By Vangeswari, SAFM Why do we always tell people to adopt and don’t shop? Why should get a pet from the shelter instead of the pet store? Here, we want to share with you some reasons why adopting a pet would benefit you and your family and the misconceptions of adopting. 1. You Are Saving a Life For us, this is a good enough reason why you go to shelters and get a pet from there. By adopting from a shelter, you are providing an animal with the second chance they deserve. Many have been rescued from horrific circumstances such as cruelty, neglect and abandonment, or quite simply their owners were no longer able to look after them due to illness or a change in situation. Shelter staff work tirelessly to nurse animals back to health, rehabilitate disturbed animals and do everything they possibly can to ensure they are prepared to go to a new home. Sadly, not all of them are as fortunate. Many shelters have to euthanise due to lack of space, meaning many healthy animals lose their lives every day just because no one wants them! Imagine yourself as an abandoned cat or dog who lived its last days in cages, only to be ‘put to sleep’ because no human wants you. It’s heartbreaking.  You have the power to stop this from happening. By adopting an animal that has been abandoned through no fault of their own, you are blessing them with mercy and a second chance for them to live and be happy. 2. Eradicate Puppy Farms & Unethical Breeders Pic courtesy of Pranidchakan, Pexels.com A puppy farm or mill, is the illegal practice of breeding puppies for the purpose of making profits for the breeders, without any regard to the dogs’ health or well being. Dogs at puppy farms are often forced to breed several times until they’re physically and emotionally traumatised. They are often kept in terrible conditions without basic hygiene and necessities. The same thing can happen to cats, rabbits, hamsters and other pets. Especially in Malaysia where our laws are very lax, it is very hard to tell if the animal advertised comes from an ethical or unethical breeder. Unethical breeders are not concerned with producing healthy animals, which results in the animals born with severe problems that emerge over time. They also usually don’t receive any veterinary care, and will often be killed once they can no longer reproduce.  Adopting from a shelter can aid in stopping animals from being subjected to such horrific circumstances. Rather than funding this illegal and unethical trade, you will be rehoming a pet from a non-profit organisation that supports animal welfare. 3. Teaches Empathy & Awareness Pic courtesy of Tong Nguyen van, unsplash.com Every year, many adult dogs and cats are surrendered to animal shelters due to the owners not finding them ‘cute’ anymore. These irresponsible owners would received small puppies or kittens as Christmas or birthday gifts. For a while, they enjoy the pet being small and cute. But soon they realised that pets come with big responsibilities. The cute puppies soon grew up to be rowdy and misbehaving dogs with no discipline. This has thus contributed to the over-crowding of shelters that can be prevented if only the owners stick to their responsibilities. But adopting from a shelter however, can teach us to be more empathetic and kind. Try is out yourself. Go to your nearest shelter and see if you can keep a straight face while looking at abandoned and unwanted animals. There are many lessons a visit to the shelter can teach you. And when you’re ready to adopt, your pet will continue to teach you about gratefulness, happiness and what it means to be part of a family.  4. Get a Vaccinated & House-trained Pet Workers and volunteers in animal shelters work hard to ensure a rescued animal is healthy and safe before it is considered adoptable. So don’t worry about getting a ‘sick’ animal from the shelter. Some animals might have scars or defects from their years of abuse or hardship in the streets, but they should have been treated with vaccines and medications prior to adoption. If you’re adopting directly from the previous owner, you can get the animal checked at the vet first. Don’t forget to spay and neuter while you’re at it! Shelter animals are also house-trained to go to the loo. This saves you time from having to toilet-train a newborn kitten or puppy. You’ll also be surprised at the story behind each animal in the shelter. Many cats and dogs there came from difficult backgrounds, but once they are loved, their personality drastically changes, like this story for example. 5. Become an Older Animal’s Best (Human) Friend Pic courtesy of Madeline Bowen, Unsplash.com Don’t get us wrong, there are many good things when you adopt a puppy or a kitten from the shelter. However, the sad thing is that many older cats and dogs are left unwanted in the shelter for months and even years. Until one day, they have to be euthanised. Consider adopting adults cats or dogs if you’re looking for a pet that’s more independent and quieter. Older or adult pets are often calmer and quite happy just sitting by your side, compared to the hyper-active young ones. They still need plenty of playtime and attention, though! Adopt an adult cat or dog and see how loving and caring they are, while being playful and naughty at times too. 6. Help Solve Overpopulation of Street Animals For every animal that is adopted and rehomed, another one is saved from the streets from hunger and disease. Since animal shelters are always over-crowded to the point that some have to be put down, adopting them means that shelters can focus on controlling the population of street animals. When uncontrolled, stray animals causes a lot of problems for both the people and themselves. Too many strays died of hunger and diseases caused by

By Syira SAFM The pandemic has taught us many things – about what really matters, what our true priorities are and what do we live for. For many, it’s family. In these testing times, we believe family is more important than ever. If you have a cherished pet, you would know how important it is for your pet to be safe, happy, and healthy during these times. But pet care during MCO & the pandemic can be challenging. Routines are now changed, no more visits to the park, no more trips to the beach. It is especially hard if you have to take care of both pets and children! So, if you need some tips on how to care for your pet during MCO, these might give you some ideas. 1. Stay Alert (But Don’t Panic) on Health & Nutrition Social distancing applies to both humans and animals. While many scientists believe the coronavirus CANNOT be transmitted to pets, it’s still very wise to keep your pets away from crowded areas. Yes, including the dog park. This virus is new and we’re getting new information about it every week. So stay safe and stay alert, but never panicking. Stock up on kibbles and pet treats before any panic buying happens again Never force your animals to wear face mask! They just need to stay at home If you’re sick, minimise contact with your pet until you feel better If they’re sick, quickly call the vet clinic and set up an appointment, while always following SOP For outdoor cats, try to keep them indoors as much as you can. Use a cat leash if she insists on going outside, and limit her to only the backyard or apartment area. 2. Stick to a Daily Routine Indoor cats and other small pets like rabbits and hamsters are probably the easiest when it comes to social distancing and petcare during MCO (like my lazy indoor cat). Outdoor cats however, might not be too comfortable staying inside for too long and need to be outside. You can use the cat leash or if that fails, be consistent on a routine where your cat should go out only at certain times of the day.   For dogs, it is EXTREMELY important for you to stick to a routine. No matter its size and breed, all dogs need consistent schedule to avoid stress and anxiety which then leads to misbehaving. Have a timetable for when your dog should go outside to poop or pee, when it’s play time, time for walks, and time to feed. By being disciplined in your schedule, your dog can anticipate his day and reduces uncertainty and mixed messaging. 3. Make Time for Play & Exercise Image courtesy of Mat Coulton, Pixabay.com In your pet’s schedule, allocate plenty of time for play. Both cats and dogs need exercise routines to keep them occupied and tired so they can go to sleep easily. Yes, they’re just like children! Speaking of children, get your kids involved as well. The pet is the responsibility of the whole family, not just one member. Other than playing, tell your kids to read books aloud to them or do activities together. In some cases such as EMCO/PKPD, the law doesn’t allow you to go outside at all. If you can’t bring your dog outside for walks, try to use the space in your home to do some exercise. If you have a backyard, that’s great enough for some running around. If you don’t, allocate a space in your home to play catch, zoomies and general fooling around. Buy some pet toys online designed to keep pets focused. A good chew toy for example, can save you from a bored, misbehaving dog. 4. Give Them Positivity & Encouragement Petcare during MCO can be very mentally-straining. So don’t sweat out the small stuff like a messy room or noisy barking dogs (poor things are just very bored) and focus on the bigger picture; getting the family to stay positive and work together. Some days will be tougher than others, but having a pet can sometimes be rewarding. They provide comfort and love if you treat them right. I would pick up my cat at the end of a long day and hide my face in her fur for as long as I need. Always give you pet praises and encouragement whenever they do something good and behave. NEVER punish them for bad behaviours. Instead, be very disciplined about your rules and routine. If a pet misbehave, use a stern voice and give it some time-out. Positive reinforcement is shown to be more effective than negative punishments, so give them all the praises and treats for good behaviour, even if it means staying quiet throughout your video conference. 5. Spare Some Kibbles for Other Animals In Need MCO is a tough time for everyone. It is especially tough for stray animals and those in animal shelters. Animal food banks are running dangerously low in funds due to the pandemic and many abandoned animals, both in the streets and in shelters are starving. MCO closes down many businesses and restaurants, which means strays who had depended on scraps and leftovers have lost their main food source. These animals need your compassion and kindness more than ever. Spare some kibbles for them and donate what you can to the nearest shelter or animal organisation. Donate a little to save a life and give abandoned cats and dogs a chance to survive  in these uncertain times. In Conclusion Your pet is very grateful to have a thoughtful, kind fur parent such as you. Hopefully these petcare during MCO tips can help you and the cherished furry friend go through a difficult time. No matter how hard it might be, do not mistreat or abandon your pet. Sadly, there were a lot of cases of pet-dumping during the first MCO lockdown. There are too many strays and abandoned animal in the streets caused by

Do you have a pet dog in your home? Maybe you’re thinking about getting that adorable golden retriever puppy you’ve seen by the pet shop window. Or better yet, you’ve been wanting to adopt a mongrel from the shelter. Either way, there’s a lot of responsibility of owning a pet such as a dog. Other than proper food, shelter, and love, pet owners have to spay & neuter dogs for a variety of reasons. Let’s look at 5 main reasons why you have to spay your dog: 1. Spayed & Neutered Dogs Are Healthier A vast majority of animal doctors around the world agreed that spayed and neutered dogs live healthier lives. Spaying (for female canines) and neutering (for males) reduce risks for canine cancers, sexually-transmitted infections (STI/STD), kidney infections, bacterial infections and so much more. Spaying also stops misbehaviours caused by the dogs going ‘in heat’. They’ll get less rowdy and aggressive, behaves and follow commands better. 2. They Have Longer Lifespans It makes sense that when a dog is healthier thanks to spaying, it could live longer! Every pet owner dreams of living with their cherished fur baby for years and years to come, to be the companion and man’s best friend for as long as life allows it. So give this chance for your dog and have it neutered. Dogs normally have a lifespan of about 12-14 years depending on the breed, but a healthy happy dog can live up to 20 years or more! 3. They Have Better Temperament & Less Pain As mentioned before, spayed & neutered dogs behave better because their reproductive hormones are reduced. They tend to be less aggressive, more docile, and fare better in temperament and mood. But of course, to have a controlled dog who behaves well requires more than spaying it. Dogs need proper training since they’re puppies. That being said, spaying does help to reduce a dog’s tendency to be aggressive. Female dogs in particular, won’t be in pain from going in heat, after spaying. Unspayed female dogs undergo painful menses that can lead to bleeding and swelling. Spaying stops this process entirely so your dog won’t need to be in pain anymore! 4. Saves Money & Vet Expenses We mentioned that spaying reduces risk for infections and diseases. So let’s keep the vet bills to a minimum with only the necessary expenses; medical checkups, vaccinations, and neutering. True to the adage, prevention is better than cure, you can avoid more medical costs for diseases that can be prevented when you spay & neuter your dogs. Spaying also avoid unplanned ‘grandchildren’ bore by your pet dogs. There are many cases of pet dumping on public grounds, usually a box of newborn puppies or a mother dog with her puppies abandoned by irresponsible owners. Pet dumping is wrong, both under the Animal Welfare Act 2015 and under social morals. It’s akin to torturing your pet by letting it die slowly of starvation, sickness, loneliness and getting run over by vehicles. Pets that are used to being fed and protected would have a terrible time fending for themselves, especially puppies and new mothers. The cost of spaying and neutering is not that high, contrary to what some may think. You only have to pay once for every dog you own. And the time taken for the surgery to complete isn’t as long as normal surgery for humans; a mere few hours. And you don’t have to worry about your dog being pain since they’ll be effectively anesthetised during the whole procedure. They won’t feel a thing, just as long as you go to legitimate vet clinics done by certified doctors! 5. Helps Control Stray Population In the Streets Dogs reproduce very quickly. Depending on the breed, one unspayed female dog can get pregnant as young as 6 months old and have up to 8 puppies per pregnancy. In a year she can go in heat 2-3 times and may get pregnant more than once. Multiply that with her siblings who are also unspayed, and you’ll have too many dogs abandoned in the streets, fighting for scare food and shelter. Many pet dumping cases happen when owners suddenly realise that they have way too many dogs to take care of and too many mouths to feed. But pet dumping is such a bad solution for a serious problem. The solution is to spay and neuter your pets to avoid overpopulation of strays. It will lessen the burden of the owners, make the dog’s life happier and healthier and benefit both parties. So in conclusion, please spay & neuter your dogs for the betterment of your life, your dog, and our community. Be responsible owners and take the step to bring your beloved pooch to the vet for vaccination and neutering. Your dogs will thank you for being diligent and caring of its needs. Help our community control its stray population that will lead to animal abuse and cruelty and share this article to friends and family. Together, let’s be better pet owners to our cherished furry family members!