SHAH ALAM – Selangor's Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah and Tengku Permaisuri of Selangor Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin want the public, especially in the state, to protect stray animals, especially cats and dogs, during the movement control order (MCO) period.
Istana Alam Shah, in a post on the Selangor Royal Office Facebook page today, said Sultan Sharafuddin and Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin expressed sadness and regret as there are still individuals who deliberately treat such animals with cruelty.
“It is very important for all of us to have compassion for these animals and share the responsibility to feed and protect them, whether as pets or when they are in their own habitat,” said the royal couple.
The statement also said that Sultan Sharafuddin and Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin are now caring for some stray cats, which they have had neutered.
“This includes Snowy, an abandoned cat that initially came to Sultan Sharafuddin's residence four years ago looking for food, but was eventually adopted as a pet.
“Snowy is now Sultan Sharafuddin’s favourite cat and has been his loyal companion.”
Apart from Snowy, Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin, who is also Royal Patron of the Stray Free Selangor (SFS) campaign run by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA Selangor), has rescued more than 100 stray cats and kept 30 of them, while the rest have been adopted by others.
From March 2017 until December last year, 7,117 stray cats and dogs have been neutered under the SFS campaign, supervised by SPCA Selangor.
The statement also said that Sultan Sharafuddin has ordered the local authorities to be more proactive in dealing with the issue of stray animals.
It added that Sultan Sharafuddin is urging the local authorities to adopt the method used by Turkey as a model to handle innocent stray animals.
The royal couple also reminded the public to continue complying with the MCO's standard operating procedures (SOPs), including by wearing masks and only leaving the house when necessary to curb the spread of Covid-19. – Bernama, January 23, 2021
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