Janssen, pictured with her charges, is seeking funds for their continued care.
Torrential rains that submerged parts of Penang also wreaked havoc on the Penang Animal Welfare Society’s (4PAWS) shelter.
Its founder Barbara Janssen said the river running behind the shelter burst its banks after the unusually heavy rain which started at about 1am on July 1.
“The rain continued without stopping until about 6am and my 600 dogs were terrified but thankfully, a few hours later, the water subsided.
“The back wall collapsed and that will have to be repaired as soon as possible.
“This could not have come at a worse time, as funds are already running low,” she said when met at the sanctuary.
Far left: The animal shelter was flooded after a river burst its banks during heavy rain in Penang.
Janssen said the number of visitors to the shelter had also taken a nose dive in the past year after part of the main Teluk Bahang road leading to the Penang National Park was closed for drainage works.
“I believe visitors might encounter challenges in locating the shelter, but from my experience it’s actually quite simple.
“Our location can easily be found using apps like Google Maps or Waze by keying in ‘4PAWS’,” she said.
On other challenges, she said, “Previously, I was able to facilitate the adoption of at least one dog every month.
“However, I consider myself fortunate if a dog could find a home within two months now.”
Janssen said that for the smooth running of the shelter, RM40,000 was needed a month for veterinary bills, salaries for her workers as well as food.
She said the dogs consumed up to 160kg of kibble, 40kg of chicken offals, 30kg of rice and eight tins of canned food daily.
“Food takes up a huge percentage of operating funds, so I am appealing for food and cash donations.”
Food can be ordered online and delivered to No.429, Jalan Hassan Abbas, Teluk Bahang, 11050 Penang.
When contacted, Penang Island City Council (MBPP) stray and abandoned dog sub-committee chairman Connie Tan said animal shelters could write to the local council for assistance. “The council helps out these shelters by working closely with International Aid for the Protection and Welfare of Animals (IAPWA), and through them we donated RM2,000 to eight shelters last year.
“We are looking into giving a monthly allocation to IAPWA to help these shelters,” she said, adding that they also helped spay and neuter rescued animals.
4PAWS is a registered non-profit organisation and no-kill animal sanctuary.
For more information go to www.4paws.com.my or www.facebook.com/4PAWS.penang Janssen, pictured with her charges, is seeking funds for their continued care.
Far left: The animal shelter was flooded after a river burst its banks during heavy rain in Penang.
Janssen, pictured with her charges, is seeking funds for their continued care.
The rescued dogs of the Penang Animal Welfare Society's (4Paws) shelter in Teluk Bahang.Photo by Bernard See
Far left: The animal shelter was flooded after a river burst its banks during heavy rain in Penang.
River running behind the shelter burst its embankment submerging the centre in Teluk Bahang. Courtesy pix
