HISTORY
Brief History of MNAWF
The idea was ignited 30 years ago by a young veterinarian's passion for better quality lifestyle for animals and their owners, fuelled by continuous educational efforts, and endorsed by the Malaysian Government's machinery. The Foundation became a formal entity 20 years later on 15th November 1997, with the mission 'To promote a caring Malaysian society through creating awareness with a balanced approach to animal welfare for the well being of animal and mankind.' This mission is supported by the tag line: LOVE ALL LIFE
Initiation of the practices
Awareness on animal welfare in veterinary care had been evolving after independence in the 50's, but remained low. Then, people owned pets mainly for security and for pest control. But in the 70's a young veterinarian, Dr. Sivagurunathan envisioned the need for veterinarians to play a greater role to promote and raise awareness on animal welfare throughout the country. His belief:"In an urban setting with the increasing bend in pet ownership, we need to address two big issues i.e. responsible pet ownership,and, greater public awareness on domesticated companions." He lived out his passion through the high standard of care he perseveringly established and maintained within his own practices, and with every pet owner he met.
Recognizing the value of human animal interaction
A decade on, the awareness of the responsibilities of all veterinary services was raised even further by Tan Sri Dato' Dr. Ahmad Mustaffa Babjee, a former Director General of the Department of Veterinary Services who said 'The important issue in man's exploitation of animals in that they should not neglect the animals' welfare. Man may use animals for various purposes as long as he treats them well and cares for their well being ... Pets kept at home should receive proper grooming, diet and immediate veterinary attention when they fall ill. " His statement propelled the responsibility of veterinary professionals to establish close interaction between man and animal not only for the well being of animals, but also to enhance man's quality of life. He energizes his words by organizing numerous animal welfare campaigns. In 1996, twenty years after first putting his ideals into practice, Dr. S. Sivagurunathan who had risen to become the President of the Veterinary Association of Malaysia (VAM), continued with the Director General's initiatives to raise funds in support of animal welfare, and also undertook community projects to promote animal welfare across the nation.
Birth Pangs
However, there was a vacuum in and need for, formalized education on animal welfare and on how to promote it, as fart of social development. Globally as wei as in Malaysia, various animals were being 'adopted' to live with people as part of therapy, services, rehabilitation etc., and the concerns were on how to care for them correctly to sustain and retain their good work. In particular, proper education was needed to encounter bad publicity on pets, especially do~s which are commonly used to help the disabled as well as to detect dangerous substances. To meet the need for structure, on 15th November 1997, a protem committee was formed to register the Foundation as "Yayasan Kebal·ikan Haiwan Kebangsaan Malaysia" (Malaysian National Animal Welfare Foundation). This was followed on 5th December 1997 by Government recognition via an official announcement by the Malaysian National Animal Welfare Council as well as the Malaysian National Animal Welfare Foundation. And so began our journey and mission to touch the lives of people and their animal friends, to live in Iiarmony and enjoy the symbiotic need for love and companionship.Come join us- be part of the mission to Love All Life.
