As a result, shelters all over the country, big and small, have suffered from a huge drop in donations, which has affected food purchases for the many hungry mouths to feed.

The Woof and Meow 2.0 campaign, organised by Joyness Sdn Bhd and YANA Charity Association, was launched digitally on May 1 this year to raise funds for animal shelters in Penang to buy kibbles.

“We understand dry kibbles are expensive and most of the time the cost is covered by sponsors. Animal shelters often feed dogs and cats rice with the unused parts of chickens,” Kah Yan, a member of the organising committee, told FMT.

She said it was also her ardent hope that the campaign will encourage the younger generation to adopt pets from the shelter.

“A lot of people prefer to purchase pure-breed pets from pet shops, so we hope this campaign will encourage them to adopt rather than buy. There are many cute puppies and kitties in shelters waiting for a home.”

The organisers hope the campaign will raise enough to purchase 20,000 kg of pet food, which will be allocated to four animal shelters in Penang.

These are the International Animal Protection and Welfare Association (IAPWA), Penang Hope of Strays (PHOS), SPCA Seberang Perai and Penang Animal Welfare Society (4PAWS). Distribution to the shelters will take place on Sept 9.

Kah Yan said RM25 will buy 7 kg of dog and cat kibbles, RM50 will cover the cost of 14 kg and RM100 will purchase 20 kg of pet food.

Donors who give RM25 and RM50 will receive an e-certificate while those who donate RM100 will receive a gift box containing a t-shirt and a custom designed dog or cat badge.

Tan Kan Chuah, president of SPCA Seberang Perai, said since the Covid-19 outbreak in early January, the number of people making donations and adopting pets has decreased significantly.

“The lockdown has severely hit the economy and people are starting to spend less on non-essential items, which includes a monthly donation to a pet shelter. And with the situation still unclear, we have been forced to cancel fundraising activities scheduled for July.

“As a result, pet shelters and NGOs are struggling to make ends meet, with severe shortages of food supplies and declining public donations,” Tan said.

The first Woof and Meow Campaign was launched last year and smashed its original goal of raising 4,000 kg cat and dog food – a whopping 10,000 kg was raised.

How to make a donation

• Donations can be made to Persatuan Kebajikan Yana Pulau Pinang, AmBank account No 888 102 468 937. Fill in WnM and your name on the remarks column of the receipt.
• Click here to register and attach payment receipt to the online form.

Visit Meow and Woof’s Facebook page for more information and updates.