Barbara Janssen is the incredible tour-de-force who runs this 620+ dog sanctuary in Teluk Bahang. If you keep driving all the way up the Batu Ferrenghi Road and go straight through the Venus Flytrap round-about, a few kilometers later you will made a left and go down a windy road for some time before you get to the rescue. Below is a picture of the front gate and the address is at the bottom of this post.
Barbara was kind enough to give us a tour of some of the facility (which is huge and includes a pool and a hospital!) but most visitors congregate in the front area where there are dogs who need special attention, and some very sweet adoptable dogs who are happy to be played with and walked.
Our aim in bringing Remy there was to get him more involved in community service. There aren’t so many charity-related activities that are child appropriate, but we knew that this would be the perfect place to start (plus the commitment level is low). Obviously they would prefer lots of regulars but I think they are happy whenever anyone stops by the help and to play with the dogs and puppies and we definitely plan to go back again over the summer. The things they let kids do to start include walking a dog of their choice up-and-down the road (accompanied by their adult), or they can help give one a bath!
The aim of 4PAWS is to provide care, rehabilitation and a safe home for all of the stray and abandoned dogs and many puppies that have been found left abandoned, uncared for and all alone on the streets of Penang. The society has a no kill policy and provides continued care for animals whose age or disability may make them less likely to be adopted. Perhaps on your visit you might find the dog of your dreams but there is never any pressure to adopt (well at least not from 4Paws!)
Remy had a terrific time playing with the puppies and the bigger dogs and he realized how some dogs, (like our Milo) are definitely more fortunate than others…and he was able to draw the parallel to people too, so overall it was a big success and a good lesson was learned!
Dress to get very dirty, bring wet wipes/a towel and possibly a change of clothes, and wear washable shoes…you would regret wearing white! Bug spray and a water bottle are also recommended!
If you cannot visit but would like to make a donation please click on the link below. Anything helps! http://www.4paws.com.my/index.php/donation/donate-to-4paws
** Please note they only welcome visitors from 2pm-5pm every Sunday. **
429, Jalan Hassan Abbas, 11050 Pinang, Penang, Malaysia
