Interview by Rui Pastorin
The metal gate opens on a Sunday afternoon at the Macau Association For Stray Dogs and Animal Welfare’s (MASDAW) shelter on Estrada de Dona Maria II, which houses over 130 stray and abandoned dogs.
Several excited barks are heard, and Shelby, a friendly dog used to people, is among them. She is brought out to greet the people registered to volunteer to take her and other dogs out on a walk as part of the association’s free dog walking programme.
Though people have volunteered to walk the dogs from the shelter before, the programme was officially born during the turbulent COVID-19 pandemic, the association’s founder and President Fátima Galvão has told The Young Post during a recent interview. The pandemic was a time when many had lost their jobs. Some, Galvão said, started coming to MASDAW to volunteer and the association started organising community dog walks. As time went by, the word spread and many volunteers just started showing up and registering to walk the dogs without MASDAW needing to organise them, according to Galvão.
The programme now has many volunteers. Among them are many students from the mainland who love dogs but cannot have their beloved pets with them while studying here, along with local dog lovers who cannot have one at home for various reasons. “Somehow, our dogs are also their dogs”, noted Galvão.
Sometimes, private groups also set up community walks and even fundraising for the association and, according to one of the caretakers at the shelter, some schools have also taken part in the programme.
Galvão highlighted something special that she found in the programme, which was how she witnessed that it paved the way for strong and long-lasting friendships created among volunteers, with many meeting each other through walking the dogs. It was also during the programme that the hashtag “#masdawislove” was born as Galvão started to see people in very difficult periods in their lives coming to give their time and love to the dogs at MASDAW, which gave them love and affection back in return. “It was like helping each other”, Galvão said.
However, Galvão also mentioned that the programme is not without its challenges, as she recalled an incident where someone had volunteered to walk an 11-year-old dog named Argo and ended up abandoning him and not contacting the shelter. The situation caused the association a very stressful few days and was not helped by the registrant not clearly providing the necessary information. Though Argo was eventually found, changes to the registration policy had to be made. “We exist to protect them, not to put them in danger. And so that’s why we decided to change the policy in terms of registration of the volunteers”.
Moreover, compared to the association’s previous shelters, Galvão mentioned the area for walking dogs is not as spacious. Also, when compared to the previous shelter in Coloane, there are not many green areas, while they have met people in situations who are not so dog friendly at the nearby reservoir, such as when walking together in groups. The shelter is also “collapsing financially”, Galvão said. But despite these issues, the programme and passion to help the dogs remains.
Meanwhile, for those considering owning a dog, Galvão emphasises that to those who love dogs and cannot have them at home for various reasons and issues or are unsure if they are willing to make the commitment, Galvão said that it’s better not to buy or to adopt just yet, while people should also open their hearts to mixed breeds.
She pointed out that those considering opening their hearts to the dogs can come to MASDAW and walk its dogs, noting that no pressure is put on anyone to adopt them. “We are very happy to have everyone coming and walking our dogs”.
“We are here, they are here, seven days a week”. Galvão emphasised, with MASDAW being open from 11:30 to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., sometimes till 7 p.m. or 7:30 p.m. “They are here just waiting to receive love and some attention”.
Many dogs & cats euthanised this year
Galvão also commented that 2024 has been a “shameful and very frustrating” year, as many dogs and cats have been euthanised.
This, according to Galvão, is also due to Macau having no programmes to “really solve the problem of strays” in the city. “It’s not by killing. It’s already proven that it’s not by killing that you can eradicate stray animals. This Trap Neuter Release (TNR) should be really a very concrete and effective policy in terms of catching and saving their lives”, she pointed out.
MASDAW President Fátima Galvão poses with puppies that the association has recently rescued. – Photos: Rui Pastorin
Shelby looks on.
