On to a better life: Sani (in orange T-shirt) with his wife Im Mahani Yaacob (right) and grateful residents (left) Choong Chia Wei and Sharon Chin after he rescued a stray dog from their neighbourhood. Rescuing strays can be ‘tedious, dangerous and messy’ but Chia (right top) and Wong, would never turn their backs on an animal in need.
KUALA LUMPUR: How far would you go to save a dog in distress? There are a few who are prepared to go great lengths even if it meant taking time off work and risking life and limb.
In October last year, animal rescuer Chia Boon Woo tried to rescue a stray dog during a heavy downpour and almost got swept away by strong currents when he stepped into an irrigation canal at Taman OUG, off Old Klang Road.
Eventually, the 54-year-old insurance agent managed to save the dog.
Electrician Wong Yoong Heng, 51, put work on hold and drove over 200km from Cheras to Ipoh last month to rescue an abandoned dog.
He brought the canine back here before sending it for medical treatment and placing it at a shelter.
On another occasion, he travelled to Johor to free a dog that had its head trapped in a plastic container.
He came to know about both cases through posts on social media platforms.
Building contractor Sani Ng Abdullah takes time off from work to rescue stray and abandoned dogs mainly in the Klang Valley.
On one occasion, the 62-year-old travelled to Pahang to save a dog and several of its puppies.
The three men are among a group of volunteer rescuers from the Rawang-based KC Valley Animal Shelter who dedicate their time and efforts to carry out noble work not many are prepared to do.
The group have taken hundreds of dogs and cats off the streets, giving these strays a new lease of life at shelters and with new owners.
Chia said rescuing dogs could be tedious, dangerous and messy at times.
He recalled rescuing an injured dog in Kajang last year with Wong.
An eight-year-old boy had posted photos of the canine on a social media platform, pleading for it to be rescued.
“There were deep wounds in its body with maggots. It hid in some undergrowth under an uprooted tree. Wong crawled in and spent about 30 minutes under the tree before he managed to grab hold of it.
“The stench from the wounds was so bad,” he said, adding that the two rescuers then brought the stray to an animal clinic.
He said after weeks of treatment, the canine recovered and was adopted by a family.
Another rescuer Olivia Wong, a 45-year-old pharmaceutical representative, said some of the rescued animals are treated for ailments, neutered and released again.
Wong, who at a time adopted 12 dogs she rescued with neighbours, recalled a case at Taman Tun Dr Ismail which lasted for days.
She said together with several others, they searched for a dog that had its head lodged in a large food canister.
“We searched for it day and night for a week, climbing slippery slopes and crawling into undergrowth in spite of the bad weather. Finally, we found and freed it from the canister,” she said.
The dedication of the rescuers are driven by compassion and a goal to give the animals a better life.
They are self-funded but also rely on donations of well-wishers to save, feed and treat the animals.
“It is very pitiful to see them roaming the streets aimlessly and hungry, sometimes with serious injuries,” Wong said.
Meanwhile, Sani said he hopes more people would help stray animals and take time to understand its plight.
“We also urge the authorities to adopt more humane ways to trap or capture stray animals. They are God’s creation too and it is our duty to protect them,” he said.
