Twelve-year-old Anis Aliff Lam and her sister Adlinor, nine, were devastated when they discovered that their cat, Merah, and her kittens, were put to sleep by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Selangor (SPCA).

The girls and their father, Aliff Lam Abdullah, from Kepong, were shocked when they were told by a SPCA officer that Merah and her four kittens had to be put to sleep as no one wanted them after being left there for four days. Aliff and his daughters had gone to the SPCA in Jalan Kerja Ayer Lama in Ampang on Oct 31 to surrender the cats for adoption.

Anis said: “We had to give the cats away because we stay in an apartment and are not allowed to keep so many cats. My sister and I surfed various web sites and decided that the SPCA was the best place as it is safe and a well-known organisation.”

“I am very sad,” said Adlinor during a Press conference at the MCA Public Services and Complaint Department. The sisters adopted Merah when the cat came to their apartment a year ago. When Merah gave birth to the kittens, the family had to give up the cats.

Aliff said he feels cheated as he had made a ‘donation’ of RM100 to the SPCA.

“Did I actually pay the sum to SPCA to put the cats to sleep? If I knew this would happen, I would have left the cats with some friends to take good care of Merah and her kittens. Instead, I was blamed for misunderstanding the surrender form,” he said.

Aliff also claimed he was never informed by the officer-in-charge about the time frame for the cats to be put to sleep if no one adopted them.

SPCA secretary M. Chelvy, who attended to Aliff that day, said she had informed him of the terms and conditions stated on the surrender form.

“I also informed Aliff of the time frame and what we would do if no one adopts the cats. Everybody who comes by is informed of the fact. I also told him that by surrendering the cats to us, it is with his full knowledge and understanding that the cats will be put to sleep if no one adopts them. This could possibly happen as soon as one releases the animals to us,” she said. “If an individual cannot accept the terms and conditions, we advise them not to leave the pets with us.”

Chelvy said that on the form, there is a statement which reads that “a person is voluntarily surrendering the animals to SPCA for them to do whatsoever the society deems fit and henceforth I will have no further claim to the animal(s)”.

Chelvy added that during festive periods, some people tend to treat SPCA as a ‘dumping ground’ for pets. Concerning the RM100 ‘donation’ to the SPCA, Chelvy said the society charges a sum to discourage people from bringing in unwanted pets.