Shelters across the nation are perpetually burdened by a lack of money and manpower, and most of them rely on donations from the public to stay afloat.
To that end, one shelter in Negeri Sembilan, FurryKids Safehaven, is organising a fundraising “rainbow masquerade” gala dinner to help with its expenses.
The event will be held on Nov 5 at Regent Hall in Seremban, and will feature an eight-course Chinese dinner alongside an amazing lineup of entertainers. These include violinist Joanne Yeoh, alternative rock band Skies Are Red, standup comedian Gajen Nad, magician Kimmy Liew, and emcee Bally Dhillon.
Seremban member of parliament Anthony Loke will grace the event, which will also feature a raffle and collectibles auction.
The gala dinner marks FurryKids Safehaven’s first proper gathering in three years, and will further serve as the celebration of its new shelter in Kuala Sawah. In addition, it is a token of appreciation to its supporters.
The date of the dinner commemorates the fateful incident of Nov 5, 2020, when its previous shelter was badly damaged in a flash flood that occurred in the wee hours of the morning – a tragic event that claimed the lives of 54 dogs.
Early-bird prices are available until Sept 30, with standard and VIP tickets priced at RM208 and RM408, respectively. Thereafter, standard tickets will cost RM288, while VIP tickets will go for RM488.
Halal and vegetarian meal options are available upon request.
The shelter hopes to raise RM200,000 through the event, RM60,000 of which will be used to furnish its treatment room with equipment. The rest will be used to pay off its debts owed to food suppliers and vets.
With a monthly operational cost of RM90,000, the shelter is having a tough time staying afloat, especially since it has not received any government subsidies to date.
It has more than 2,000 rescues, including puppies and handicapped dogs, which means over RM50,000 is spent on some 12,000kg of dry food every month.
“This is why we call upon the public to support us with their presence at this gala dinner,” said shelter president Kiran Bhatt.
From the ground up
Kiran told FMT that the team is excited to officially launch its new shelter, which was built from scratch.
“We had to urgently relocate all our dogs to higher and safer grounds following the flash flood two years ago,” she recalled. “That incident affected us tremendously, and we will never forget the dogs we lost.
“Despite crushed spirits, we knew we had to lift ourselves up by sourcing a new piece of land that is not only higher and more secure, but also bigger for all the dogs to roam about and run.”
She added that the new 2.7ha shelter, which was constructed in phases owing to financial constraints, “spreads across different levels to ensure our dogs will never again be at risk of raging floods”.
Kiran further thanked the shelter’s founders for being with them every step of the way, and shared that future plans include establishing an e-commerce store that would hopefully contribute to its sustenance.
For reservations or further details about the gala dinner, email Rohini Harichandra at [email protected], or call 019-6625233.
Keep updated on FurryKids Safehaven’s activities via its website and Facebook profile.