Volunteers to the rescue of stranded animals at SPCA P'pang
Published on: Wednesday, October 15, 2014
KOTA KINABALU: Animals sheltered at the Society For The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Kota Kinabalu at Kg Lomunu, in Penampang, were not spared by floods which hit the district recently.SPCA Kota Kinabalu Vice President Jenny Chung said it took three days and the best display of human spirit to bring all the animals to safety. The animals have been temporarily re-located to the SPCA KK Temporary Shelter in Kg Kionsom in Inanam for a month before they will be shifted to Lok Kawi for about eight to 12 months until the shelter in Kg Lomunu is restored.
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Floods hit most parts of the district after four days of non-stop rain which saw 392 flood victims from 15 locations, including three schools, having to be assisted by the district police, Fire and Rescue Department and Civil Defence Department on Oct. 7. "The water started to rise quickly that day prompting me to alert fellow animal lovers about our urgent need of assistance via WhatsApp and within 10 minutes we received encouraging response," said Chung. "We could not rescue all the animals on the first day, we only managed to rescue 10 cats and dogs which are still in critical condition and brought them to a temporary shelter in Country Heights."We managed to stack pallets for the rest of animals to stand above water level but at the same time we could not move all of them and we had to open the cages to let the dogs out to prevent them from drowning," she said. They managed to rescue 45 animals on the second day and the remaining 11 on the third day of the operation.
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"We saw the worst from the weather and the best displays of human spirit, we were overwhelmed by the warmth and sincerity from each and every volunteer, whether they were from our immediate animal lover community or from their network of friends and beyond. "In short, the emergency evacuation was a complete success and could not have happened without their unconditional compassion for animals and generosity," she said.
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She said the animals are up for adoption and those interested may contact them at 0168346674 or 0168382111 or log into www.spcakk.org. Kg Lomunu is a flood-prone area and is frequently hit by flashfloods whenever it rains non-stop. The SPCA KK has requested for assistance many times this year after the shelter was put at a higher risk of a landslide particularly during rainy season. Such fears arose from a hill cutting activity located just next to the shelter to make way for a housing development. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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