Animal rights group Anima Macau is continuing its campaign for residents to adopt and support their cause as its overhead costs have increased amid the reduction of financial support it has received as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The President of the Board of Directors, Billy Chan, disclosed that overall financial donations have been reduced to one third of what they were initially receiving due to a decrease in the support acquired from gaming operators.
This comes after the cost cutting initiatives that gaming operators have implemented due to the significant loss of income they have experienced following the low tourist arrival numbers the city is recording.
In a press conference yesterday, Chan said that as of October, the association was already in 1.5 million pataca of debt, noting that they will fully revise their budget next year to align with the cuts to financial support it will receive.
“It will be a big challenge to dramatically reduce our budget. We don’t want the animals to be affected by the [cost cutting]. We also have our staff [to pay] so we really have to find ways,” he said.
“We all understand how Covid-19 has affected society. However, I would say that there are some problems that we cannot delay. We are all trying to save money but we have to prioritize them [the animals]. We don’t want to send them to the Municipal Affairs Bureau to have them euthanized.”
Chan assumed his position in July, replacing former President, Albano Martins.
The past few months were challenging for the new president – particularly due to the lack of resources.
Until October, the association has rescued 136 dogs this year and has desexed 57. Only 38 have been adopted, a decrease of 53.8% compared to the same period last year.
70 dogs were returned to the shelter, which Chan assumed was due to the large number of non-residents leaving Macau due to unemployment.
A total of 18 cats were returned this year, a surge of 350% compared to the same period last year.
“We are estimating that there will be more,” he said, citing a recent massive layoff of non-permanent workers.
As the process to bring a pet out of the region takes three months, the executive implied that many do not prefer to undergo the long procedure.
“We are also reviewing our responsibility to see what exactly we need to do. For the future, we really want to collaborate with other associations and work together,” said Chan.
The government remains one of its main partners. Despite the sponsorship given to them, “It is never enough.”
Last year, former president Martins revealed that the government funding for animal rights group Anima Macau had increased from 3.8 million patacas to 5 million patacas.
The association’s current estimates suggest that there are about 500 stray dogs in the city, most of which are in Coloane.
The association is continuing work on convincing dogs’ owners to have them neutered.
However, the question of whose responsibility is it for these stray dogs and cats to be taken care of remains.
“How much more should we take? The responsibility [to take care of them], is it just for us or does it also belong to the government? Should we all work together [with animal rights group] and solve the problem and not fight for resources such a land, money and other support?” asked Chan.
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