10/12/2025
When the situation with ALL made headlines, the online reaction was immediate and as a rescue organisation I was saddened that such reactions only created more hardship for the animals who depend on the organisation.
Having known Mohan for about twenty years, I couldn’t simply accept what was being said at face value. I have seen his work at first hand and interacted.
Most people don’t realise how demanding animal welfare work is, especially without any government subsidies. These shelters care for animals that are ageing, injured, traumatised, or otherwise unlikely to find homes. It’s emotionally heavy work, and the financial load is constant.
Many organisations enforce strict adoption processes because every failed adoption sends an animal right back into instability. And while founders usually begin with nothing but heart and good intentions, not everyone starts off knowing how to run what is essentially a full-scale organisation. You need skills in accounting, HR, volunteer coordination, marketing, logistics, legal compliance—the list goes on. This is essentially a business in itself, and even for profit making entities, 90% of businesses die in their first 3 years. Mohan and Cathy have been doing this for 40 years I was told.
On top of that, maintaining a shelter is expensive. Rent, food, utilities, medical care, and wages add up quickly. Medical bills can be overwhelming; a single complicated surgery can run into tens of thousands, and unlike humans, animals have no insurance schemes to fall back on.
We know it as to house the many cats at Keepcats, it cost more than $30k monthly.
Rescuers also face constant emotional pressure. We often hear things like “if you don’t take this animal, it’ll be put down,” which makes us feel personally responsible. Over time, this guilt can lead to taking in more animals than the organisation has capacity for.
Financial strain is a reality for many shelters. When funds run low, clinics may hold back treatment until debts are settled, meaning decisions sometimes come down to affordability rather than ideal medical care.
Caring for even a single healthy pet isn’t cheap, let alone dozens of animals with complex needs.
This doesn’t mean that genuine wrongdoing should be dismissed. If there were failures that harmed animals, the authorities must address them. But based on the decades I’ve known the founders, I also believe the situation is more complicated than social media makes it seemed.
In Paris Ris, it was easier for volunteers to access the location compared to Tengah. They were able to run a boarding house to supplement the charity side of things. But since the relocation, it made things trickier especially with COVID.
At the end of the day, the animals still need help. If you’re uncomfortable donating financially to the organisation, you can still contribute in ways that directly support their care—through vetted clinics or essential supplies.
Cat food they use:�– Aristo Yihu fish-flavoured canned food�– Science Diet Adult 1–6 dry food
Dog food:�–Daily Delight, savoury lamb, juicy chicken
- Nature’s Gift , lamb beef wet canned food
-HLGK long grain rice AAA
Clinics overseeing their animals:�– Mount Pleasant�– Jln Gelenggang�– Beecroft Animal Specialist & Emergency Hospital
Whatever the noise and uncertainty, the animals remain the ones who can’t speak for themselves—and I hope we keep their welfare at the centre of everything.
