Please adopt! These pups urgently need loving homes

2026-02-28 - 00:13

These pups, part of a litter of eight, were abandoned on a secluded rubber plantation in Gerik, Perak. They are seeking adoption. (Pawtarian pic) PETALING JAYA: “Can you rescue these puppies?” “They were dumped near my house.” “Someone left a litter at a temple.” “Please help – they will die.” These are just some of the many phone calls desperate people make to Navwinderan Mahenderan, president of Pawtarian, an independent rescue group. “We wish we could say yes to all of them, but we aren’t able to in all honesty,” Navwinderan said. Malaysia is facing a quiet crisis: an overwhelming surplus of unwanted puppies. Countrywide, shelters are bursting at the seams. Rescue groups are stretched beyond capacity. Rescuers are exhausted. Fosterers are doing their best. Veterinary bills are piling up. Yet the calls don’t stop. Recently, six pups were dumped at a Chinese temple in Klang. They were barely two months old. No mother. No food. No protection. Just left behind as if their lives did not matter. This is not an isolated case. It is happening everywhere. The truth is painful: many of these puppies are the result of unspayed and unneutered dogs. When litters are born unexpectedly, some owners choose the easiest way out: abandonment. And when that happens, rescue groups inherit the burden. The pups are taken them in, vaccinated, dewormed. Their medical bills are settled. And then the hunt for adopters begins. Despite the best efforts of these rescue groups, shelters continue to overflow. This is no longer just a “rescue issue.” It’s a community issue. If the root causes aren’t addressed – which is the failure to spay and neuter, irresponsible breeding, and people’s preference for pedigree dogs over adopting rescued mixed-breed strays – this decades-long vicious cycle won’t end. These sweet pups, part of the Gerik litter, are in need of loving homes – will a kind soul adopt them this Sunday? (Pawtarian pic) This Sunday, Pawtarian is hosting an adoption drive at IOI Rio in Bandar Puteri Puchong in a bid to find homes for more than 18 puppies. All have been vaccinated and dewormed. “Some are from Klang. Eight are travelling all the way from Penang after being rescued in Gerik. They were saved by a kind individual who stepped in when no one else would. Still, rescuing them was only the first step. Finding them homes is the real challenge,” said Navwinderan. Many of these pups have been given repeat exposure online, which means they’ve had to compete with “cuter,” “smaller,” or “more purebred” dogs. “But these puppies feel hunger the same way. They fear abandonment the same way. They love unconditionally the same way. They do not understand why they are unwanted. “We aren’t begging for sympathy. We’re asking for participation. Choose adoption over buying. Choose to spay and neuter your pets. Choose responsibility over convenience,” he said. This Sunday’s adoption drive is more than an event. It is an opportunity for the community to become part of the solution. Every adoption frees up space for the next rescue. Every adopted puppy reduces the strain on shelters. Every responsible decision prevents another litter from being abandoned. If you’ve been considering adopting, now is the time. “Come meet them. Look into their eyes. Give one of them a future. Because if you do nothing, the calls will keep coming tomorrow, and we are already overwhelmed.” Pawtarian Puppy Adoption Drive Date: March 1 Time: 11am-3pm Location: IOI Rio, Bandar Puteri Puchong Contact: Navwinderan @ +6018 917 9109