These defenceless animals have been dubbed the “forgotten souls of the Papan dumpsite”.
In an effort to reduce the number of strays and give them forever homes, PapanSouls is organising an adoption drive this weekend in Buntong, Ipoh.
This would be the second such event by the pet-rescue initiative, which held its first drive last month in collaboration with Noah’s Ark Ipoh Animal Welfare and was able to rehome 25 dogs and 20 cats.
This time around, approximately 20 dogs are up for adoption.
“This round is more of an ’emergency’ as we received a number of puppies we hope to rehome,” PapanSouls member Sarah Kennedy tells FMT, adding that the drive will be held at Pet Express Mart, a new store the team is collaborating with.
“Our volunteers will interview those who wish to adopt, to get to know them and ensure they are able to care for the dog,” she says.
According to Kennedy, there have been many occasions where adopters returned the dogs “when they no longer fit the category of ‘cute'”.
“We try our best to help adopters during this process and provide them with our contact information should they need any help, and also to enable us to check up on the dogs.”
All the animals are vaccinated and dewormed, while some have been spayed and neutered. “As we depend on donations, we were unable to do so for all the dogs,” Kennedy explains.
PapanSouls was founded in 2020 when its spokesperson, Keshturi Sivam, came across a social media post about dogs that had been abandoned along the Ipoh-Lumut highway.
She gathered a number of volunteers and officially formed the group in June that year.
“We have a schedule we follow, and take turns to visit the dumpsite and feed the dogs every day,” Kennedy says.
PapanSouls depends entirely on public contributions to buy pet food. Once donations have been collected, updates will be posted on social media for donors to see how their money has been used.
Kennedy notes that there are currently over 200 dogs at the dumpsite, in addition to 150 at PapanSouls’ safe house in Ipoh, a temporary setup for dogs with disabilities and medical conditions.
She further points out that not all the dogs are “strays” in the strictest sense – the team has encountered owners searching for pets that had been taken away by the council.
Kennedy says PapanSouls is always on the lookout for volunteers. “We want to change the public’s opinion on strays. They are a part of our community and it is our responsibility to look after them.”
And in the long run, the goal is to open a permanent shelter.
“We are reaching maximum capacity at our safe house and, with more dogs being dumped every day, we hope to find a home for them, or place them safely at our shelter while we try to rehome them,” she says.
PapanSouls’ adoption drive will be held this weekend, Jan 22 and 23, from 10.30am to 5pm at Pet Express Mart.
Where:
7, Hala Sungai Pari,
Buntong, Ipoh, Perak
You can also contribute to help feed the dogs. Donations can be made directly to Persatuan Penyelamat Haiwan Terbiar Bahtera Noah Ipoh, RHB bank account number 20810000040874, with the reference PapanSouls.
For more information, including on how to volunteer, contact PapanSouls via Facebook or Instagram.