Decades Old Animal Shelter In Ipoh To Close Down Due To Overdue Rent
The animal organisation’s overdue rental came up to RM33,170 for the 0.49-hectare site.
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After nearly 40 years of operation, the Ipoh Society for the Prevention of Cruelty Against Animals (ISPCA) will be closing down its shelter in Simpang Pulai.
According to Society President Ricky Soong, this is due to the shelter’s debt to the Batu Gajah Land Office. Soong revealed that the shelter owed them RM33,170 for renting the 0.49-hectare space.
However, Soong shared that the amount was subtracted from a yearly rental of RM5,528 from 2018 to this year.
“When Batu Gajah Land Office wrote to us in 2018 informing us that they would be charging us an annual rental of RM5,528, we were taken aback with the sudden increase as previously we were only charged RM1,518 annually,” said the president in his conversation with Malay Mail.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the animal shelter could not settle the matter physically with the Batu Gajah Land Office.
Even then, they were sent a letter from the Batu Gajah Land Office regarding the amount that they owed last May.
“We then met with the district officer who insisted that we must pay up and gave us a three-month grace period from October to December to settle the payment.”
“With a mere RM50,000 cash reserve in our account, it is impossible for us to pay the amount owed,” noted Soong.
As such, Soong along with the other members of the organisation were left with no other choice but to close down the shelter.
A new home
Although it may be the end of the road for the Ipoh shelter, Soong expressed hope that animal lovers would come forward and adopt the dogs.
“In the meantime, we are appealing to animal lovers to come forward to adopt some 300 dogs kept at the shelter,” he said.
He added that they were all healthy and had been spayed or neutered. Therefore, they would make a great addition to their family.
“Please give them a second chance in life,” pleaded Soong.
For anyone interested in adopting the dogs, you can visit the shelter at Lot 38642, 4 ½ Mile, Jalan Gopeng, 31300 Ipoh, Perak. Or contact 016-524 6915 for more information.
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