130 stray dogs, and still counting …
By CHRISTINA KOH
The Star, 4 Oct 2005
WIDOW Kang Gaik Kee, who made headlines years ago for spending her savings on her 80 beloved dogs in Penang, just cannot stop picking up more strays.
When she comes across abused, sick or abandoned dogs, she cannot find it in her heart to turn the animal away.
She treats the dogs like her “children†who respond to her love, care and gentleness.
Today, she has over 130 strays at their new home in a 0.8ha ram-butan orchard in Kamunting, near Taiping, Perak, which was given to her by a Samaritan.
However Kang, 64, feels increa-singly frustrated and worried with age catching up.
“Although I need dog food and money to feed my dogs, more than anything I hope to have someone, like a volunteer, to help me here at least once a week.
“I know it’s a lot to ask for. But if I die, I don’t know if there is anyone who can continue my work,†she said.
Feeding, bathing and caring for her dogs from morning to midnight is a labour of love which Kang has to do alone.
Her sacrifice began over 20 years ago when her husband died and she had no children to care for.
To ease her loneliness, she began collecting stray dogs, spending about RM50,000 of her EPF money to provide them shelter.
“I’m very grateful to people who have come forward and help al-though the economy is not very good right now,†she said.
She added that she was especially grateful to two people in Kuala Lumpur and another two in Penang who provided her with dog food and other supplies.
However, the widow still faces difficulties in making ends meet be-cause she usually needs to spend about RM200 daily to feed the animals.
To help raise funds for Kang, the Ipoh Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) is orga-nising a charity dinner at the Tow Boo Keong Temple hall in Ipoh on Oct 30.
Society vice-president Dr Goh Hue Lang said the proceeds would go towards the upkeep of the Kang’s shelter and the ISPCA shelter in Jalan Raja Dr Nazrin Shah at Jalan Gopeng.
She said those who wished to do-nate should cross their cheques and bank drafts and make them paya-ble to ‘ISPCA’ with their name, add-ress and contact number written on the back.
For details about the dinner, call Doreen at 016-5608905 or Dr Goh at 05-5455933. Kang can be contacted at 012-5549716.