The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) said in a statement yesterday that in order to “effectively and efficiently” relieve the chronic overloading of shelter space and optimise the supporting facilities of the bureau’s two kennels, the bureau has decided to use the former carpark of the Coloane Municipal Kennel on Estrada de Cheoc Van to build another shelter for animals in the form of prefabricated housing, where 35 cages covering about 3.5 square metres each have been added for dogs and 20 cages of 0.8 square metres each for cats, with additional facilities for veterinary operations, office space and logistical support.
When the new shelter opens, according to the statement, the total number of cages together with the Macau Municipal Kennel on Avenida do Almirante Lacerda for dogs and cats will be increased from 75 and 46 to 110 and 66 respectively, increasing the number of the city’s municipal kennel cages by nearly 45 percent.
The statement noted that there are a total of 135 dogs and 76 cats currently housed in the two municipal kennels.
The new shelter in Coloane is windproofed, fireproofed, waterproofed and heat insulated, among other aspects, in order to reach the general standards for animal shelters, the statement said, adding that the premises are equipped with mechanical ventilation and heating and cooling equipment to ensure ventilation, temperature and humidity regulation, while the ground and walls are made of high-density materials with fewer seams, which are convenient for daily washing and disinfection, so as to keep the environment clean and in a good hygienic condition.
Choi Sok I, who heads the bureau’s Animal Inspection and Control Division, told reporters yesterday that as the bureau is still waiting for some of the cages to arrive in Macau, she expected the new shelter to be put into operation within this quarter, enabling the bureau to shelter more stray animals, sharing the work of the two municipal kennels, and enhancing animal welfare by improving the kennels’ quarantine, observation and waiting areas for adoption, aiming to further raise the shelters’ adoption rate.
Choi made the remarks after inviting the media to visit the new facilities in the Coloane Municipal Kennel.
Adoption & redemption rate stays at 70 pct
Meanwhile, according to Choi, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of dogs and cats adopted from the city’s two kennels decreased by 170 year on year to 497 in 2022.
However, Choi added, the adoption and redemption rate remained unchanged at 70 percent.
A separate statement by the bureau yesterday noted that 397 dogs and cats were adopted and redeemed in 2018, 598 in 2019, 667 in 2020, and 671 in 2021.
The statement said that thanks to the public’s understanding and support for the “trap-neuter-adopt” (TNA) approach, the adoption rate of animals has been on the rise.
According to the statement, in order to improve the welfare of stray animals by providing them with appropriate veterinary treatment and care, the bureau, in conjunction with animal protection groups, advocates the TNA approach, through which captured or abandoned animals with a stable health condition and temperament will be available for adoption after a body check, vaccination and chip implantation carried out by the bureau. In order to ensure that the animals are matched with suitable adopters, a home visit will be carried out by animal protection groups’ volunteers for potential adopters.
For animals that are unfit for adoption due to highly infectious diseases or serious injuries, the humane termination of animals’ lives is a means to protect against animal epidemics and safeguard animal welfare, the statement underlined, which added that each case must be assessed by two veterinarians providing professional diagnosis and also be confirmed by their supervisors before it can be carried out.
The bureau launched the “Fur Babies Preparation Class” pages on Facebook and Instagram in October last year, reaching over 240,000 viewers, the statement noted. The pages cover information about dogs and cats put up for adoption, basic knowledge about pet healthcare and relevant legal knowledge, with an online exchange zone responding to enquiries about animal adoption, aiming to increase the promotion of animal adoption services.
The bureau urged the public to give sufficient consideration and make preparations before keeping a pet and being a responsible pet owner, based on the “zero abandonment, no irresponsible care and early neutering” concept.
This photo taken yesterday shows two abandoned dogs at the Coloane Municipal Kennel on Estrada de Cheoc Van waiting for adoption. – Photos: Yuki Lei
Choi Sok I, who heads the Municipal Affairs Bureau’s (IAM) Animal Inspection and Control Division, introduces the new dog cages to reporters yesterday at the Coloane Municipal Kennel.
