But whether these helpless strays are being neutered is a separate worry.
This spurred on Susan Lankester, 61, who is an ardent animal lover, former producer and design and renovation specialist, during the moment she stumbled upon a magazine feature about a mobile vet bus already making its rounds in the US.
And often, great things begin with inspiration and intention.
To be a lone voice with a plan and an intention, however, is challenging and frustrating, but it is a significant first step towards greater outcomes.
This is the junction at which Lankester finds herself at the moment.
She is searching for generous collaborators and kind-hearted individuals who can give their time, energy, know-how, expertise and resources to accelerate the mobile vet bus idea into reality here in Malaysia.
“Think about it”, she urges. “An old school bus that works but isn’t used, refurbished with the right equipment and medicine, and driven to particular designated areas.”
These designated areas, she adds, are “where you know the people there can’t afford to neuter the strays they feed.”
Putting the wheels in motion
What drives her, she tells FMT, is “always wanting to help the strays and do so in my meagre ways.”
“I’ve seen mobile veterinarian buses in magazines and have always thought that we should have a few that could be utilised by fresh veterinary grads here, purely to neuter stray dogs and cats for free.”
Her passion is palpable. But what does she need to make this mobile vet bus idea happen?
She lists them, “An old working school bus that’s donated; funding to refurbish the interior to make it functional, especially for surgery; sponsorship from pharmaceutical companies for the drugs needed for the surgery, and also equipment.”
But that’s not all.
Lankester ticks other necessities: sponsorship for fuel and the bus’ mechanical maintenance would help, a place for the bus to be parked safely, and “if the young vets can be paid a stipend, that would be great, too.”
Acts of love and responsibility
Her own experiences have clearly left a lasting impact on her search for ways to help creatures who need human help.
“As a child, my parents would rescue animals and bring them home for my brother and me to play with – even an abused monkey who adored my father but peed on all of us,” she recalls.
Today, Lankester feeds strays in her neighbourhood and neuters them.
She relates that during the first MCO, a young mummy cat with one eye (now christened Jill) gave birth to five kittens in the drain under her driveway.
“I had to build a cat house immediately to house them. And they lived there until I found homes for them after three months.
“Jill still lives in my garden and has been neutered.”
Lankester understands the problems, such as overcrowding, overbreeding and irresponsible humans, that make life harder for animal welfare organisations and animal lovers.
“I wish places like PAWS, Second Chance Animal Society and other organisations who try to give the animals a better life had more help with funding and better venues,” she says.
“Especially the people who open up their homes to the rescued animals.”
This is why the mobile vet bus would be perfect, as she firmly believes that it can help with said problems.
Lankester’s idea isn’t just limited to helping our furry friends, though.
“This idea can also be designed for the stateless or homeless within the city. Buses and containers can be donated, and with funding, refurbished into liveable homes,” she imagines.
Requirements for this mission include a large plot of land, as Lankester says, preferably “off of the city with water and electricity supply”.
She also adds that maybe a part of the land can be turned into a garden to grow vegetables for the inhabitants themselves and to sell.
Lankester has had hands-on experience in this area when, many years back, she tried to initiate a project to refurbish containers for an NGO and turn them into a playschool for kids.
“We even had architectural students involved, designing what they thought would be ideal for the kids,” says Lankester.
The project lost traction, sadly, as there were issues with transporting the containers to the location and approval from the relative councils.
However, Lankester remains undaunted and inspired by the selflessness of others.
“I see the NGOs around me who work tirelessly to save animals and human lives, being absolute angels and depending on donations but still taking their own savings out.”
Lankester also acknowledges the invisible angels who work in the shadows, who she adds, “don’t want recognition but just help because they have the means.”
While she understands refurbishing would cost too much for a two-bedroom home or a veterinarian surgery, and that building brand new ‘places’ would be cheaper, some causes do need an extra push for attention.
“I’m all for recycling and quaintness. Having an old school bus painted and jazzed up is so much cooler. It catches the public’s attention and social media would love it.
“And in this time, wouldn’t some glimmer of positive action be so welcome?”
If you want to help this dream of turning buses into mobile vets or livable homes, reach out to Susan Lankester on her Instagram page here.