10/06/2026
a successful story ways gets international
recognition …
they have facts and figure. … and a proper Data… which some rescuers consider not necessary …
PENANG, MALAYSIA: Penang’s pioneering “No-Kill” stray dog management programme has reached a significant milestone, with more than 8,400 stray and abandoned dogs neutered since its launch in 2018.
The Penang Island City Council (MBPP) announced that a total of 8,484 dogs had been sterilised under its Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) programme as of May 17, 2026. The initiative, which focuses on humane population control rather than culling, has become a model for animal welfare efforts across Malaysia.
Introduced on March 1, 2018, through a partnership between MBPP and the Independent Aid for Protection and Welfare of Animals (IAPWA) Penang, the programme involves capturing stray dogs, neutering and vaccinating them, and then releasing them back into their original communities.
According to IAPWA Penang president Choong Koon Yean, not a single stray dog has been euthanised by the city council on Penang Island during the eight years of collaboration. In addition to the thousands of dogs neutered, more than 1,000 animals have been successfully rehomed through adoption programmes.
Choong described the initiative as a successful example of public-private cooperation that could be replicated in other parts of the country.
The programme recently received a major boost after MBPP renewed its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IAPWA Penang for another five years. MBPP Mayor Datuk A. Rajendran confirmed that the council will allocate RM100,000 (S$32.204) to support the programme.
Private sector support has also played a key role. Datuk Chuah Choon Bin of Pentamaster Corporation Berhad and Koay Lin Lin of Greatech Technology Berhad each contributed RM100,000 ($S32.204) to IAPWA, while city councillor Tan Soo Siang donated RM5,000. ($S1,610)
Building on the programme’s success, MBPP is now exploring the possibility of introducing a similar Trap-Neuter-Release initiative for stray cats, whose population has been increasing around wet markets and public dining areas.
Mayor Rajendran cited irresponsible pet abandonment as a major factor contributing to the growing number of stray cats and suggested that mandatory microchipping of pets could help address the issue by improving owner accountability.
Since its establishment in 2017, IAPWA Penang has raised more than RM5 million to support animal welfare and stray population management efforts across the island.
As many regions continue to rely on culling as a method of stray animal control, Penang’s “No-Kill” approach is being widely praised as a humane, sustainable, and effective alternative that gives animals a second chance while helping to manage populations responsibly.
Photo screengrab: IAPWA Penang,
