Persatuan Haiwan Terbiar Malaysia (SAFM) said these fees are financially burdensome for many groups and often applied inconsistently.

“The fees range from hundreds to thousands of ringgit per dog,” its president, R Kalaivanan, said.

“This inconsistency creates an unfair and unsustainable challenge for NGOs working on limited budgets.

“The bail-out process should be smooth and easy, allowing the NGOs to quickly rescue animals without unnecessary delays or complications.

“This will enable the NGOs to focus on their mission to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome stray animals without huge financial implications.”

In a statement, Kalaivanan also proposed that groups be given at least 14 days to rescue strays. This is to ensure that every stray has the opportunity to be rehabilitated and rehomed.

He said efforts to reduce the stray population in Malaysia are not the sole responsibility of animal groups or shelters as the government plays an important role in supporting animal welfare efforts.

“We are already helping the government to reduce the stray population in a humane manner. We need government support to ensure these efforts are sustainable and have a lasting impact,” he said.

Yesterday, the government said it would maintain its long-standing trap-reclaim-rehome-dispose (TRRD) approach to manage stray dogs.

A housing and local government ministry spokesman said TRRD is the most practical approach to deal with strays.

However, the spokesman said the ministry is open to suggestions but needs to exercise “extreme caution” when considering alternative proposals.

Last November, its minister, Nga Kor Ming, gave an assurance that euthanasia would only be used as a “last resort” measure under the TRRD approach.

He said only strays that are sick or pose a nuisance or danger to the public would be put down.