By Carolyn Khor
With increasing numbers of stray animals on the streets, perhaps it is time for Budget 2027 to include a specific allocation to address the problem instead of dealing with the consequences only after the animals are already on the streets.
The latest government figures showed that stray-dog complaints rose from 37,535 in 2024 to 44,231 in 2025. The number of operations increased from 15,815 to 23,509, while the number of stray dogs captured rose from 66,264 to 77,573.
At the same time, the amount channelled by the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) to participating local authorities for stray-dog management campaigns fell from RM180,000 in 2024 to RM130,000 in 2025, whereas there was no dedicated allocation for stray-animal welfare in 2026. In July, the government said it was prepared to consider a special fund for stray-animal welfare.
These figures show that there is a need to use resources to prevent the problem rather than managing it once it becomes a public nuisance.
Recent cases involving dogs such as Kopi and Rocky have also shown what can happen when capture becomes the main response. Kopi was shot during a stray-dog operation in Besut in 2024, while Rocky died during a capture operation in Klang in July this year, with two people subsequently charged with animal cruelty over the incident.
There have been other cases of dogs being injured or mistreated during capture operations, prompting public concern over how stray animals are handled.
That said, Persatuan Haiwan Terbiar Malaysia (SAFM) is asking for at least RM30 million a year under Budget 2027 for sterilisation, vaccination, veterinary care, enforcement, adoption and other measures aimed at reducing the stray population.
RM30 million may sound like a substantial request, but in the context of the federal budget, it is relatively small. However, the proof will be in how the money is put to work.
Its president, Kalaivanan Ravichandran, argues that the allocation should be used to prevent unwanted births, improve vaccination, promote responsible pet ownership and strengthen enforcement instead of focusing mainly on catching animals.
“When tens of thousands of complaints are being received, and tens of thousands of animals are being captured, we have to ask whether we are investing enough at the prevention stage,” he said.
The proposed fund would cover sterilisation, vaccination, veterinary treatment, humane capture and transport, post-operative recovery, adoption and rehoming, responsible ownership and stronger enforcement.
If RM30 million is allocated, however, it should come with clear targets and reporting.
“If an organisation receives government funding, it should be able to show what was achieved — how many animals were sterilised and vaccinated, how funds were spent, what happened to the animals and what impact the programme had in the community,” Kalaivanan said.
In July, the government said it was prepared to consider a special fund for stray-animal welfare, leaving NGOs and animal shelters relying on voluntary efforts and their own funds to manage and rescue stray animals.
With Budget 2027 set to be tabled tomorrow, there is an opportunity to turn that consideration into a specific allocation and put more resources into preventing the problem.
The government already has the Animal Welfare Act 2015, the MyAnimalWelfare system operated by the Department of Veterinary Services and the National Animal Welfare Strategic Plan 2021–2030.
The issue is therefore not simply whether another allocation should be created.
It is whether a relatively small investment in prevention can reduce the much larger and continuing effort required to deal with stray animals once they are already on the streets.
If complaints, operations and captures continue to rise, measuring success by the number of animals caught will not tell us whether the problem is actually being solved.
The next challenge, Kalaivanan said, is ensuring that enforcement and preventive programmes have sustained resources and coordinated delivery.
WE