Updates on the Kinta Dog (thought to have TVT)

For those who are new to the blog, a young lady from Ipoh sought our help to rescue a female dog with visible TVT.  We enlisted the help of friends who contacted Persatuan Pencinta Haiwan Kinta Perak. This group did the rescue over 3 days and the dog is under their care now. We have named the dog, for easy reference, Kinta Dog. We also immediately raised funds on the day of the successful capture and transferred RM600 to the group to help with the surgery and treatment of the dog.

Today, the person in charge of the rescue, Mr Lu, updated me on Kinta Dog. They took Kinta Dog to the vet and it is not TVT but a prolapsed uterus. Surgery will be done today and of course, Kinta Dog will be neutered.

Mr Lu says the plan would be to return Kinta Dog to her colony, which is the marketplace where she is fed by a stall owner. Kinta Dog will be ear-notched, micro-chipped and also given the red collar which is what Ipoh groups do. We recently read that there have been grave concerns about this red collar: https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2022/11/09/collars-for-neutered-and-released-strays-spark-debate-in-ipoh. Some dogs with the red collar have been found in dire straits, being choked the death or entangled. The choking to death is because the dog grows in size. We are really very concerned about this.

I asked what was the purpose of the red collar if the ear is already notched for identification. Mr Lu explained that in Ipoh, if a red-collared dog is caught by the council, the people in charge of the dog can claim the dog back from the council. I truly wonder why the red collar is needed if the dog is already ear-notched.

So I discussed with Mr Lu. Mr Lu says for their own TNR-dogs, they can approach the dogs easily and can therefore adjust the red collar accordingly. Choking will not occur. They also feed their TNR-dogs daily and they monitor the dogs.

Mr Lu said that Kinta Dog was very fierce and defensive on the first day she was caught. But by today, she has mellowed a little. He is not sure if Kinta Dog’s feeder can approach her, but he knows the feeder feeds her. I suggested that perhaps Kinta Dog does not need the red collar. After all, even with the red collar, the dog will still be caught. Can’t the council identify neutered dogs from the ear notch? Collars are a hazard, especially for free-roaming dogs.

But let’s get her procedure done first. If the procedure costs more than RM600, we will fundraise for her.

I updated the young lady who shouted for help for the dog on the day of the rescue but have not heard from her since.