UPM Dogathon 2012 gathers 900 canines

SERDANG, 4 Nov – A total of 900 canines were gathered at the 2012 Dogathon held recently at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) to generate revenue for the establishment of the “Stray Animal Awareness and Stray Animal Neuter/Spay Project for PR0-KASIH.

Programme director, Lim ZhiJian said the programme, with the witty slogan, ‘Howl with the hounds or you’re doomed!’ was to help control the abandoned pets population by using a more humane approach.

“The programme also gives relevant exposure to the veterinary science students  who could have a taste of what it feels like to be a veterinarian.  Lim expressed the hope that the Dogathon would continue to be held regularly and attract a big crowd as well as sponsors, when speaking at the 2012 Dogathon opening at Expo Hill, UPM.

The various breeds of dogs participating in this Dogathon included Beagle, Chihuahua, Dachshund, Dalmation, Doberman, German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, Mongrel, Pomeranian, Pug, Schnauzer, Shih Tzu, Siberian Husky, Toy Poodle, Welsh Corgi and Yorkshire Terrier.

At the Dogathon, information was disseminated on pet care, pet health care, methods on how to care for strays and career information for those interested in being  veterinarians.

UPM Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research and Innovation), Prof.Dato’ Dr. Mohd Saleh Jaafar said in his opening speech that the programme would be a good platform for veterinary students to identify the stakeholders of the veterinary industry apart from having the opportunity to educate the public on pet care.

“The programme has become an iconic programme for veterinary students and new knowledge acquired can benefit students, academics and even the public,” he said.

Also present at the function were the Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Prof.Dr. Mohd. Hair Bejo, Petpositive Chairman, Datuk Anthony Thanasayan who is also the Petaling Jaya Municipal Council Chairman and Miss Malaysia Universe 2009/2010, Thajuna Anan, who is also the PETA ambassador.

The first Dogathon was launched in 1997 as a platform to create public awareness on pet care and as an avenue to discuss effective solutions in pet care.