Anima urges TNR as shelter debt reaches MOP 1.4 million

[Photo: Yuki Lei]

Macau’s animal shelter is MOP1.4 million in debt and overwhelmed by 700 strays, and is now urging the government to try trap-neuter-return to stop the crisis at its source.

The city’s stray animal crisis is escalating, with no official city-wide census but animal welfare groups warning that shelters are already overwhelmed. The Anima-Society for the Protection of Animals (Macau) told local media that its Coloane kennel alone houses nearly 400 dogs, while the total number of cats and dogs across all shelters has surpassed 700, leaving rescue groups struggling with severe resource shortages and mounting debt.

Euthanasia figures are also on the rise. According to Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) data, 491 stray cats and dogs were put down last year, while the first quarter of this year saw an 85% surge compared to the same period last year.

The numbers have drawn public outrage, with one resident writing an open letter urging the government to resume a trap-neuter-return (TNR) pilot, restore monthly species-specific data disclosure, and work more closely with animal welfare groups. “Life should not be reduced to numbers,” the letter said. “Please uphold the ‘last resort’ principle.”

The existing trap-neuter-adopt (TNA) model has reached saturation, often resulting in euthanasia. Macau previously ran a TNR program for stray cats from 2007 to 2015, but it was discontinued by the government.

Anima president Zoe Tang said Coloane is the hardest-hit area for stray dogs, with the association’s team conducting daily spaying and neutering operations, prioritizing females. However, under current laws, “street TNR” remains illegal, so the association can only carry out the program in private areas such as construction sites.

The association runs two shelters – a cat sanctuary and a dog kennel – originally designed to house around 200 animals, but now shelters over 700, far exceeding capacity. Tang noted that in 2025, the association rescued 89 cats and 22 dogs, but only 45 cats were adopted, and only one dog found a home. Dog adoption rates have been low for more than five years, as most adopters prefer puppies while the shelter is mainly filled with adult mixed-breed dogs.

Facing a daily influx of four to five surrender requests and a mounting debt of MOP1.4 million, Anima has been forced to prioritize only injured or sick strays and stop accepting surrendered pets altogether, Tang said in an interview with Chinese-language media Exmoo published on Tuesday. Despite recent fundraising efforts, she added, donations have not kept up with the MOP600,000 monthly operating costs, leading to staff reductions and salary delays.

Tang has called for a shift in the city’s approach to stray animal management, urging the government to implement a TNR pilot program and strengthen cross-departmental cooperation. She reportedly said the current approach is no longer working and that Macau needs to adopt more effective methods to control the stray population.

Tang also noted that nearly a decade after the Macau Animal Protection Law came into effect, enforcement and legal frameworks still require improvement.

She proposed raising the administrative fee for abandoning pets from MOP1,000 to MOP5,000 or higher to increase the barrier to abandonment. She also urged that microchipping be made mandatory for all pets – including both cats and dogs – rather than only for dogs. She also appealed to the public to support the “adopt, don’t buy” initiative and the monthly MOP100 sponsorship program.