It started off with one, then ten – and now more than a hundred. Aunty Jenny, 57, a housewife has been rescuing strays for more than 20 years since 2000 and is now part of the non-profit initiative, A Dog’s Life with her son, Lester. The non-profit initiative is focused on saving strays in and around the areas of Klang.

Though it is work that is fulfilling, it is also a lot of hard work. The decades she spent serving her noble cause has taken a toll on her body, and it does not get easier now that she is older. In recent years, it has become more challenging for her as she is beginning to feel the strain, especially on her back and knees due the years of carrying large packets of dog biscuits and rice bags when preparing the dogs’ food.

Although Aunty Jenny is not as strong as she used to be, she remains determined to do this thankless job just because she loves being around dogs. To keep on going, Aunty Jenny is aware that maintaining a healthy body is crucial –she complements her balanced daily diet consisting of vegetables, fruits, lean meat and healthy grains with adult nutritious milk product for the added nutrients. Aside from that, she also continues to run errands whenever she can, without exerting her body as it is a form of exercise for her. She remarks, “It is important to stay healthy to be able to do things that you want to do with lesser difficulties, and I believe that this is what the ‘Healthier Malaysians, Stronger Malaysia’ campaign is all about.”

Tending to strays is just one of the countless responsibilities undertaken by Aunty Jenny. To help sustain the shelter, she needs to gather monetary donations to pay for the various costs including rent and utilities, dog food and medical supplies. Though, it is now especially difficult when all the essentials are becoming more expensive and donations have reduced significantly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, causing the funds to run dry.

Another challenge faced by Aunty Jenny is pet-dumping, which is becoming more rampant these days, especially in the current pandemic. She noticed that there is an increase of strays around her neighbourhood when she goes on her daily rounds to feed them.

“The issues around strays happen because people are generally not aware of the consequences of dumping. Most of the time, the dumped strays are not spayed or neutered, causing them to reproduce within an area. When this happens, the people living around the area becomes unhappy with the situation and this creates a negative stigma around strays. Dumping is never the solution, but a problem,” she shares.

She also believes that the act of catching and putting down strays is not a long-term solution to reduce the number of strays. According to her, the Trap-Neuter-Release-Manage (TNRM) approach is a much more humane and effective method which A Dog’s Life have been practicing for the past years. This makes work like Aunty Jenny’s crucial in mitigating the social issues surrounding strays.

Aunty Jenny’s day is usually occupied with caring for the strays that she rescues and feeds. Her day begins with cleaning the compound so that the space is safe and clean for the dogs. After cleaning and giving the rescued strays the love and attention they deserve, she heads out to buy the dogs’ food like rice, innards and dog biscuits at the market and local store.

She would also frequently visit the vet to purchase medicine supplies for the sick strays. She also stops by to check on the strays that are being admitted at the vet for various illnesses and injuries. In the evenings, she would be in the kitchen, preparing their food for her usual feeding outing to the strays around various areas in Klang.

She finds this work of saving lives rewarding when she sees the strays happy and healthy. “Every life matter and we have always given our best to care for them, regardless if they are old or need additional assistance. Dogs are smarter than we give them credit for, and they are always so appreciative. Feed them once and they will remember you,” she said.

Despite doing this for so many years, losing a stray never gets any easier. Aunty Jenny still finds it hard to cope with loss of a stray caused by medical complications or old age. She also realises that there are never bad dogs – just irresponsible owners and intolerant community. “It’s okay if you do not like dogs but please do not hurt them,” she adds.

Aunty Jenny also believes that there needs to be more education and awareness surrounding animal welfare and the social issues faced by strays, especially the importance of spaying or neutering a pet as well as on dumping problems. She is confident that when the public becomes more understanding and compassionate for strays, it would greatly reduce cases of abuse and pet-dumping.

When speaking about future plans, Aunty Jenny shares her motivation and revelation on her rescue work: “When I look at the strays that I have rescued, it makes this work worthwhile. Seeing them strong and healthy motivates me to continue to do this despite the strain on my body. I have been taking extra care of my health by consuming PROVITAL Immuna Plus because it provides the important nutrients that my body needs to continue the rescue work. Apart from supporting my general wellbeing and mobility, it also strengthens my immune system, especially when my work needs me to be out and about.” Aunty Jenny also highlights the difficulty in finding someone to continue with the rescue efforts: “It is extremely challenging to find a person who could continue this for a long-term. It takes more than just passion to do this; it is a calling.”

Aunty Jenny is one of the Local Heroes featured in Mead Johnson Nutrition’s ‘Healthier Malaysians, Stronger Malaysia’ campaign. For more details about the ‘Healthier Malaysians, Stronger Malaysia’ campaign and PROVITAL Immuna Plus, check out Provital Malaysia’s Facebook page! You can also learn more about A Dog’s Life to support Aunty Jenny’s rescue work!

This content is provided by Mead Johnson Nutrition Malaysia.

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