Contrary to what many people may think, the aims and objectives of CAS is not ONLY for animals. It is actually to create a better environment for the entire society, humans and animals alike, through humane management of urban strays. like it or not, urban strays are here to stay. It is a problem created by humans and MUST BE SOLVED BY HUMANS. Dumping, poisoning, killing, culling, murdering and all kinds of inhumane methods are not solutions. It only brings out the evil and the worst in humans.
Neutering, responsible pet ownership and allowing us to manage the strays through humane methods are the long term solutions for our society and any society! This has been proven over and over again even in 3rd world countries like India, Indonesia, South America and of course many 1st world countries. Why can’t we be like them? Why can’t we spare a little patience and tolerance to solve a problem that was in the first place created by humans !
Rome was not built in a day, neither was Brunei nor the urban stray problem on hand. But it requires the whole community, the whole society, the private and the public sectors to come together and work as one to solve this problem together. Everyone in this community has a responsibility to help create a better environment for the whole society, not just a few individuals ! The problem will not go away overnight and require years of patience and dedication. For starters, those who cannot be actively involved can simply be more tolerant of urban strays as organisations like CAS work towards managing the problem. Humans need to co-exist in harmony with urban strays. Setting a vicious cycle in motion will not solve the problem !
CAS strives to solve the urban stray problem to ultimately create a better environment for the whole society! When we do not have starving animals rummaging through garbage bins, when we do not have wicked callous killings of poor helpless animals, when we do not hat mindless cruel acts against harmless animals, when we do not have provoked animals charging at humans, will we all not have a better environment to live in, if not now, in future for our children?
If u think there are too many strays around, STOP DUMPING UR UNWANTED ANIMALS! START NEUTERING YOUR PETS AND REHOMING YOUR UNWANTED PETS! STOP BUYING ANIMALS ! IF YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE ENOUGH TO OWN A PET, ADOPT ONE OF THE STRAYS OR UNWANTED PETS FROM YOUR FRENS AND STOP ENCOURAGING THE ANIMAL TRADE ! WHEN THE BUYING STOPS, THE SELLING STOPS !
If u have ever poisoned or considered poisoning or support poisoning as a method of stray population management, I have news for u – IT DOES NOT WORK !!!!!!!!!! IT ONLY POSTPONES THE PROBLEM !!!!!!!! Every piece of land has a holding capacity of strays. Once there is a group of strays living in the area, they will guard their territory and will not allow more animals to enter their territory. By removing / poisoning this original group of strays, we have only created a space for new strays to enter and occupy thus we are back to square one, a group of strays again ! Poison them and the cycle repeats itself in a vicious cycle !
CAS manages urban strays by first neutering them so that the population will not increase, then by providing a food source, they are not starving and will be less likely to rummage through garbage bins and be less of a nuisance, thirdly we provide basic medical needs to ensure that they are healthy and do not carry transmittable diseases, fourthly we try to re-home them. Happily neutered strays live out their natural lives and the stray population diminishes over time. If this is repeated throughout the entire country, with everyone playing a part regardless how minor or major, we will eventually have a stray free Brunei, or at the very least, a much less stray population and a much better environment to live in.
And this has been proven in Brunei too! Of the 5 feeding sites that we have been managing for the past several years, all the stray population has diminished. In fact we have been able to relocate other strays that are in danger of being poisoned into our feeding sites. If we can have the whole country working together, whether it is just simply by being tolerant of urban strays or by actively supporting the work we do, WE CAN AND WILL EVENTUALLY HAVE A STRAY FREE BRUNEI, ACHIEVED THROUGH HUMANE METHODS AND WE WILL GO DOWN IN HISTROY AS THE GENERATION THAT DID SOMETHING FOR THE POOR HELPLESS ANIMALS AND CREATED A BETTER ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR CHILDREN !
Show compassion, teach responsibility, inculcate kindness in our children! Lead and teach by example ! History has shown us that ALL serial killers started by being cruel to animals. But history has also shown us that responsibility can be imparted to children through responsible pet ownership! Not that all children who have shown cruelty to animals will become serial killers but they would know less compassion, have less responsibility and be less tolerant of the needy and those with special needs. What do u want your children to grow up to be ? What legacy do u want to leave your children and the future of Brunei ???
by Ada Ang (CAS Senior Volunteer)
