Instead, you hear the chirping of birds, leaves rustling in the wind and the barks of many excited dogs ringing in the air.
The “welcoming committee”, made up of a group of canines, put a smile on the faces of those from FMT Lifestyle who dropped by for a visit recently.
However, when a woman stepped out to welcome the team, the dogs turned towards her instead, each clamouring for a pat on the head.
This is Winnie Lau, 67, the founder of Cherishlife Home, an animal shelter.
Jovial and warm, this retired nurse is spending her golden years caring for almost 200 dogs and cats. Her reason is simple, and it is reflected in the name she chose for the shelter.
“Life is precious. I thought that if we rescue animals, we must cherish them also. That’s why I named this place ‘cherish life’. And it’s a home,” Lau told FMT Lifestyle.
For Lau, it began when a guard in the housing area she previously lived in made a simple request. “He said, ‘Aunty, when you have leftover food, don’t throw it away. Give it to me and I can feed the dogs.”
An animal lover herself, she didn’t hesitate. Later, when the same security guard resigned, he made yet another request: that she take over the task of feeding the dogs in the area. And once again, she said “yes”.
An advocate of trap-neuter-release, she said this experience was eye-opening for her as she came across many abused and injured animals.
Unable to turn a blind eye to their plight, she rescued some of them, placing them in an animal shelter she volunteered at.
But when the numbers kept growing, she started Cherishlife Home in Hulu Langat. That was in 2010, she said. “I never dreamt of having a shelter. But at that time, I needed a place to put the dogs.”
‘My children’
In the early days, the shelter was home to 38 dogs and six kittens. Over the years, more animals were rescued and as people heard about her volunteer work, they brought animals to her. So she registered the shelter as an NGO.
The shelter is presently in its third location and Lau was heavily involved in the construction process, including finding workers and materials.
“I prefer not to disclose my location because if people start dumping dogs or cats, it’s dangerous. This is a jungle area and there’s nobody around. So, if you dump your dogs or puppies here and I don’t know about it, they will get killed by wild dogs or wild boars.”
After more than a decade, Lau said that almost all of her retirement funds have been used to keep the shelter in operation. As she doesn’t receive many adoption requests, the future of the animals here weighs heavily on her mind.
Running the shelter costs close to RM18,000 monthly. This includes workers’ wages, food and supplements for the animals.
That is why Lau cannot accept more animals, focussing instead on providing a good life for her existing brood.
Here, the animals live in spacious, partitioned areas, and they enjoy dedicated time to play outside. “If you rescue a cat or dog, but you cage them up, what’s the point? It’s not a life for them.”
Although the journey isn’t easy, she finds fulfilment in seeing the animals thrive here. “They’re all my children. They’re very cute,” she shared affectionately.
One of them is Kenji, an adorable canine who dislikes being separated from his human – as evidenced by his woeful look as he waited for the interview with her to be over.
In recognition of International Women’s Day yesterday, FMT Lifestyle would like to acknowledge Lau for her devotion and determination in caring for animals who are overlooked by the rest of society.
“Be kind to all living things, not only to stray dogs or cats. They are also part of the community.”