Wednesday February 27, 2013

An uphill task but all’s well at Furry Friends Farm

By WANI MUTHIAH
wani@thestar.com.my

Safe sanctuary: Some of the dogs at Furry Friends Farm, which is now in the care of Myza and her team.

PETALING JAYA: Six months after the death of animal activist and founder of Furry Friends Farm (FFF) Sabrina Yeap, her friends have kept her work alive and pushed the sanctuary to greater heights.

One of Yeap's closest friends Myza Nordin, who found herself having to shoulder the responsibility of managing the place after Yeap's demise, said it had been an uphill task.

“Sabrina's death came as a shock to many of us. To make matters worse, we only found out on the day of her funeral that no plans had been made for the sanctuary if something happened to her,” said Myza, who is now FFF president.

Yeap, 49, succumbed to leukaemia in July last year without knowing that she was suffering from the disease.

Eventually, Yeap's friends got together and formed a society to keep the sanctuary which is home to 300 dogs, 150 cats and a goat.

“Where would all these animals go if we did not take up the responsibility of running the place?” said Myza.

According to Myza, funds were not accessible to anyone else since Yeap was the sole proprietor of the place.

“There wasn't money for anything including buying food for the dogs. The veterinary bills came up to RM60,000.

“Luckily, members of the public and Sabrina's friends rushed to FFF's aid,” said Myza, who is the corporate communications department head of a hotel here.

With her experience in publicity work, Myza and her team managed to raise funds to settle the veterinary bills within a month.

Now that the challenges have been overcome, Myza said the sanctuary was finally ready to receive visitors.

“Our dogs are healthy and happy and have got over Sabrina's absence. We are ready to throw our doors open to the public,” said Myza.

She said FFF would host its first open day on March 3 when visitors will be able to visit the sanctuary and participate in various activities.

“It's going to be a fun day. We welcome everyone who wants to have a glimpse into life at FFF,” she added.

She hoped FFF would continue receiving public support, saying that she had done her best with the team.

“Sabrina will always remain dear to FFF but the sanctuary now has a new identity and approach. We have moved on,” Myza said.

For details of the open day, please log on http://www.facebook.com/events/399415523483267/

News

Wednesday February 27, 2013

An uphill task but all’s well at Furry Friends Farm

By WANI MUTHIAH wani@thestar.com.my

By WANI MUTHIAH
wani@thestar.com.my