KAJANG: Malathi Nimayah, 39, has always had a soft spot for animals and in 2019, she witnessed a dog fighting for its life after a hit-and-run incident. Despite taking it to a veterinary clinic for treatment, its injuries were too severe and it died soon after.
Malathi, who previously worked as a nurse and has a Diploma in Multimedia, said she ran her own event management company but felt distraught by how strays live on the streets.
She decided to dedicate herself to looking after them and is now a full-time independent animal rescuer. She looks after 65 cats, 148 dogs and three rabbits, some of which are disabled due to abuse or being involved in road crashes.
“In the beginning, I picked up injured strays and sent them for treatment before releasing them. But in time, I realised the strays I helped had nowhere to go.
“I did not have the heart to return them to the streets, knowing their chances of survival would be low, so I took them home. But as their numbers increased, my family started to complain and so did the neighbours.”
There were even complaints to the Kajang Municipal Council and enforcement officers visited her house to conduct an inspection.
“I had many issues with the council. Its officers threatened to forcibly remove the strays from my house. I cannot blame my neighbours for complaining because not everyone loves animals.”
She said the council gave her two weeks to remove the strays and with such a short notice, she contacted all her friends in search of a house to rent.
She rented one in Saujana Palma Residences here, where the neighbours were more compassionate and did not mind her animal rescue activities.
However, she eventually needed an even bigger space for her growing “animal kingdom”. Through an estate agent, she rented an abandoned factory in Taman Industri Villaraya in Semenyih to house the strays.
“I could not find any empty land to rent and build a shelter for the animals, so renting the factory was the next best option. The factory owner, who is also an animal lover, agreed to rent the property after he learned of my predicament.”
She said renting the factory is worthwhile as the strays are happier and have more space to run around.
Malathi said every month, she needs to raise about RM17,000 for food, RM2,000 for utilities, RM2,500 for supplements, RM5,900 to rent the house and factory, between RM6,000 and RM10,000 for veterinary bills and RM3,000 for cleaning agents and disinfectants.
“With a monthly expenditure of between RM36,000 and RM40,000, I am in desperate need of funds and am appealing to the public to please come forward with any assistance they can provide.
“Some individuals have asked why I am trying to save the strays if I cannot afford it. But those in my care include disabled animals that nobody wants to adopt. We cannot just leave them on the streets to die, right?”
Those who wish to donate to Malathi to support her animal rescue work can WhatsApp her at 017-366 4443 or directly deposit funds into her Maybank account at 1143 8426 6411.
