[SHARE] What PAWS Has To Say About Saving Shelter And 600 Animals
There are many ways one can help PAWS save these animals and their home. We list down what you can do and what you should not do.
By Darian Goh — 18 Nov 2014, 12:26 PM — Updated about 10 years ago
Selangor MB Azmin Ali Wants The Land Office To Find A New Home For PAWS
Selangor’s district and land officials have been ordered to look for alternative areas for an animal shelter which was previously issued a 14-day eviction notice, state Mentri Besar Azmin Ali said today. Faced with public outcry, Azmin had Tuesday suspended the said eviction notice for the Paws Animal Welfare Association (PAWS), which currently houses 260 dogs and 280 cats.
themalaymailonline.com
The PAWS Animal Welfare Society is overcome with joy that Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali has taken a personal interest in securing an alternative parcel of land for the shelter to relocate to.
“I have summoned the district officer and explained, and ordered other places to be found to house the animal shelter,” he told reporters when met at the state secretariat building here. Azmin explained that the land which is currently occupied by the animal shelter was to be used as part of state development as well as for a Light Rail Transit (LRT) project. “I have asked the DO and the owner of the land Sime Darby,” he said, using the initials for district office.
themalaymailonline.com
PAWS Has Responded On Their Facebook Page In Response To The Good News. They Have Set Up A New Account For The Relocation And Will Update As Soon As They Have The Details.
PAWS Told That They Can't Stay On Government Land Forever
Animal shelter Paws Animal Welfare Association (PAWS) has no choice but to vacate their current premises despite the fact that Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali has stepped in and suspended the eviction notice issued by the Petaling Land Office. PAWS shelter manager Edward Lim told The Malaysian Insider this after a meeting with Selangor Land Office staff and state exco member Elizabeth Wong yesterday.
themalaysianinsider.com
Land officers told him during the hour-long meeting at the state secretariat office in Shah Alam that the shelter would have to move out eventually as the land they were occupying was gazetted as highway reserve. "The officer from the Land Office said that that it was not possible for us to stay on there since it was government land and they could not allow their land to be squatted on or occupied just like that," he said.
themalaysianinsider.com
He said that they do not know when the District Office would get back to them, but was told it would be as soon as possible. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Wong who is in charge of tourism, consumer affairs, and environment said that PAWS will be working together with the District Office for an amicable solution. "I have also asked the Land Office to find out why Sime Darby surrendered the land to the state without resolving the issue of the shelter which has been in existence for the last 28 years," said Wong.
The PAWS Eviction Notice Has Been Suspended Earlier Thanks To MB Azmin Ali
It has not been even 24 hours since PAWS was asked to leave its premise by Petaling District Land Office. Now the news is coming in that the eviction notice has been suspended, courtesy YAB Azmin Ali.
PAWS Animal Welfare Society posted on its Facebook page announcing the good news, hoping for an amicable and permanent solution. PAWS thanked everyone for promptly raising the issue regarding the eviction which helped create urgency.
Earlier This Week, The News Regarding PAWS' Eviction Was Trending All Over The Place. It Was Reported That PAWS Malaysia, An Animal Shelter In PJ Will Be Evicted In A Week.
http://t.co/ECg9giWAKD PAWS animal shelter are being evicted in 7 days! how can the sgor govt do this?? @elizabethwong @AzminAli @niknazmi
— Projek Dialog (@ProjekDialog) November 17, 2014
The Shelter Was Given An Eviction Notice On 10 November 2014 And Had 14 Days To Leave The Premise They Have Been Occupying For 28 Years. There Was No Warning Whatsoever As Stated In Their Facebook Post. Read The Whole Post Here
We Needed To Hear From PAWS Themselves. Have They Been Through Anything Like This Before? Why The Sudden Notice? We Spoke To Mr Edward, The Shelter Manager For PAWS And Asked Him A Few Questions.
First Thing To Know: Although PAWS Has Been Occupying The Place For 28 Years, The Land Does Not Belong To Them. It Originally Belonged To Sime Darby Who Let PAWS Use The Land For Free. However, The Land Is Now Government-owned.
“The land for the Animal Shelter was originally provided by Sime Plantations Berhad. The eviction notice and certainly the 14 day notice came as a complete shock to us,” said Nicholas Au, the President of PAWS.
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The shelter is currently built on a 1-acre land provided by Sime Darby. “All these years, Sime Darby has been kind enough to let us use this land for free. They don’t disturb us,” Edward explained.
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“All along, we had the understanding that this land belonged to Sime Darby,” he adds. “Now, it’s a government-owned land. We don’t know what transpired between Sime Darby and the government.”
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About A Year Or Two Back, There Was A Discussion Between PAWS And Sime Darby About Taking The Land Back. Sime Darby Promised To Find A New Premise For Them To Move To But There Were No Updates Afterwards.
“But about a year or two back, they asked to discuss matters over this piece of land. They wanted to take the land back, but we told them we didn’t have anywhere to go.” He added that representatives from Sime Darby promised to look into getting a land from the government, but didn’t hear from them ever since.
cilisos.my
Mr Edward Told Us That There Was Also A Similar Meeting Six Years Ago With The Same Agenda But Again, Nothing Transpired
Q: Have they given any form of letter of notice in the past 5-10 years before this latest one?
A: "No, but we did have a meeting six years ago. Again, there was nothing that resulted from the meeting although they said they would try to help us find a new place."
This Time Though, Something Happened: An Eviction Notice From The Petaling Land Office. They've Never Gotten A Notice Before, And The Worst Thing? There Was No Warning Nor Reason Given To PAWS.
“The land for the animal shelter was originally provided by Sime Plantations Berhad. The eviction notice and certainly the 14 day notice came as a complete shock to us.
therakyatpost.com
“It is disheartening that the authorities did not call PAWS for any prior discussion or at least give PAWS reasonable advance notice of their plans,” added the PAWS President.
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So What Does This Mean? It Means PAWS Has Seven Days To Find A New Place To Relocate. In Addition To That, They Have To Move 600 Animals. That's Almost Impossible.
But It's The Community That Keeps PAWS Going. Edward Said, "We Always Need Financial Help And The Community Has Always Been There."
Mr Edward stated that financial assistance is the greatest challenge as PAWS is independent. "We are not assisted by the government all this while but companies and the community has always assisted us".
One Of The Best Ways You Can Help Is To Go Out And Adopt A Pet! PAWS Is Still In Operation So Do Go Check Out Pets. The Good Guys At Cilisos Even Gave A Breakdown Of The Amount It Takes To Adopt One.
PAWS houses unwanted pets and stray animals which include puppies, adult dogs, kittens, adult cats, and the occasional rabbits and guinea pigs. Adoption fees do apply, but at a very tiny figure just to help the organisation cover its costs:
cilisos.my
Adult dogs: RM50
Puppies: RM80
Adult cats: RM30
Kittens: RM50
Pedigree animals: Minimum RM250 (rarely come with certificates)
cilisos.my
Don't Want To Foster A Pet But Still Want To Help? You Can Also Contribute By Donating To Them, More So In This Crucial Time. You Can Donate Via Online Transfer Or In Person At The Shelter.
The money will be used to pay medical bills, food, building maintenance, merchandise to sell and more.
You can bank in to their account here:
Bank : CIMB Account No : 1216-0010633-053
Account Holder : PAWS Animal Welfare Society
You Can Also Volunteer Your Time! They Always Welcome A Helping Hand. You Can Contact Them At:
For more information, please do not hesitate to contact the following for more details and media enquiries:
1. PAWS Animal Welfare Society Tel: +603 7846 1087
2. PAWS Shelter Manager, Edward 0122127926 or email [email protected]
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The One Thing Edward And PAWS Does Not Want The Public To Do Is To Protest Against The Government. He Wants To "Work With The Government", Not Against Them.
"We want to work with the government, not against them". - Mr Edward.
Thanks To The Push On Social Media And Sharing To Raise Awareness, YB Elizabeth Wong And YB Ean Yong Will Be Setting Up A Meeting With The Land Office To Help Find A Solution.
