Adoption drive held at The Square, Jaya One. – Photos: SAMUEL ONG/The Star
HAPPY barks and shouts of glee filled the air during the fifth anniversary celebration of The Square, Jaya One, Petaling Jaya.
There was a petting zoo, creative pet grooming competition and an adoption drive by Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better (MDDB) to commemorate the anniversary.
Throughout this month, there is a host of pet-friendly activities.
Young visitors with the animals at the petting zoo.
Among the highlights are a pet massage class by Malaysian Groomers Association, a pet social open day by the Puppy School, a pet emergency response workshop by PetMedic and a pet movie day in which patrons can visit The Square’s theatre with their pets.
Pet owners will enjoy 10% discount off bills when dining with their furry friends at the pet-friendly restaurants within The Square.
Advocating responsible pet ownership since its start, The Square has worked with over 100 non-profit communities in organising adoption drives, education programmes and workshops.
Supporting over 1,000 pet adoption initiatives, The Square has helped rehome over 2,000 animals.
The petting zoo also included reptiles like this python.
Developer Tetap Tiara Sdn Bhd executive director Charles Wong said that The Square was created to demonstrate that humans and animals can co-exist in a retail and entertainment setting, while balancing the needs of others.
The commercial space was revamped in 2018 with four key pillars, namely rehoming programmes, education programmes, pet-friendly restaurants and working spaces, events and bazaars.
Jaya One Sdn Bhd marketing and communication department head Ellis Teh said campaigns, puppy-training sessions and bazaars had been regularly held to encourage the public to participate in pet-friendly events.
“We also have facilities such as a dedicated pet toilet on Level P1, a pet-friendly lift, pet water bottles in restaurants and trained pet marshals.
Teh says pet-friendly events are regularly held at The Square.
“Adoption drives are also held twice every month to help strays.” MDDB coordinator Christine Lai said, “Over the years, many of our dogs have found homes thanks to this partnership with Jaya One and it’s encouraging to see more people learning about responsible adoption”.
Lai said that while the public was supportive, more could be done in ensuring a sustainable solution for strays.
“Improving public awareness is a never-ending effort and adoption cannot be the only solution to the growing stray problem.“Many might not be able to adopt and so instead there should be an emphasis on the ‘trap, neuter, release, manage’ (TNRM) method.”
She added that as TNRM required no ownership, the public could take care of animals in their communities without taking on permanent responsibility.
MDBB volunteer Brenda Chia added that if adoption wasn’t an option, the public could volunteer at shelters.
