KUALA
LUMPUR: He’ll never hear a thank you from those he rescued, but for the
hundreds of dogs and cats, Raymond Wee is nothing short of Noah with his
life-rescuing ark.
Just like the biblical character Noah, who built a ship to save the animals from the Great Flood, Wee has gathered a group of volunteers who go around Johor from morning to night rescuing pets, that were abandoned and displaced by the massive floods, and strays.
The founder of Noah’s Ark Natural Animal Sanctuary, with 20 local and Singaporean volunteers, has worked 15-hour days since the floods subsided to rescue dogs and cats left behind by owners who were forced to leave their homes in a hurry because of the rising flood waters.
Their work starts at 8am, combing the streets in lorries to rescue strays, while Wee answers unending phone calls from frantic owners worried about their missing pets.
The rescue work, which includes housing the animals at the sanctuary and administering medical treatment, usually goes on until 11pm.
"I receive so many calls that my handphone is constantly running out of battery," he told the New Straits Times.
Thanks to their dedication and hard work, more than 130 dogs and 60 cats have been rescued so far. Unfortunately, only one dog has been reunited with its owner.
"Many owners are busy picking up their lives now, and with the ferocity of the floods have given up their pets for dead," he said.
Many animals drowned as the waters rose too fast. They were either in their cages or tied up, and their owners unable to rescue them. Scores of animals have become strays when they were separated from their owners.
The animal lover said he works together with Rela in Batu Pahat and the Pontian district council who call him to rescue animals found roaming in the streets.
He said the rescued animals are severely traumatised by the floods. Many have wounds and cuts, while some are down with pneumonia.
"Many were very defensive, and we had to tranquilise some of them."
The sanctuary initially housed about 400 animals but the number has now ballooned to 600.
Last weekend, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Selangor) collected more than RM1,000 at an event at Pet Safari at the Ikano Power Centre to help support the animals at Noah’s Ark.
Just like the biblical character Noah, who built a ship to save the animals from the Great Flood, Wee has gathered a group of volunteers who go around Johor from morning to night rescuing pets, that were abandoned and displaced by the massive floods, and strays.
The founder of Noah’s Ark Natural Animal Sanctuary, with 20 local and Singaporean volunteers, has worked 15-hour days since the floods subsided to rescue dogs and cats left behind by owners who were forced to leave their homes in a hurry because of the rising flood waters.
Their work starts at 8am, combing the streets in lorries to rescue strays, while Wee answers unending phone calls from frantic owners worried about their missing pets.
The rescue work, which includes housing the animals at the sanctuary and administering medical treatment, usually goes on until 11pm.
"I receive so many calls that my handphone is constantly running out of battery," he told the New Straits Times.
Thanks to their dedication and hard work, more than 130 dogs and 60 cats have been rescued so far. Unfortunately, only one dog has been reunited with its owner.
"Many owners are busy picking up their lives now, and with the ferocity of the floods have given up their pets for dead," he said.
Many animals drowned as the waters rose too fast. They were either in their cages or tied up, and their owners unable to rescue them. Scores of animals have become strays when they were separated from their owners.
The animal lover said he works together with Rela in Batu Pahat and the Pontian district council who call him to rescue animals found roaming in the streets.
He said the rescued animals are severely traumatised by the floods. Many have wounds and cuts, while some are down with pneumonia.
"Many were very defensive, and we had to tranquilise some of them."
The sanctuary initially housed about 400 animals but the number has now ballooned to 600.
Last weekend, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Selangor) collected more than RM1,000 at an event at Pet Safari at the Ikano Power Centre to help support the animals at Noah’s Ark.
The animal lover said he works together with Rela in Batu Pahat and the Pontian district council who call him to rescue animals found roaming in the streets.
He said the rescued animals are severely traumatised by the floods. Many have wounds and cuts, while some are down with pneumonia.
Date: 28 January 2007
