It’s quite common to see stray dogs and cats loitering around without fixed shelters and owners in Malaysia.
As we know, dogs in Islam are conventionally thought of as ritually impure which is “haram”(forbidden). But this loving Muslim couple who runs a stray animals shelter takes care of stray furry friends including dogs thinking all animals deserve love.
This couple is running an animal shelter started in 2012, which is called S.I Home Shelter taking care not only stray cats but also dogs which is what sets them apart from other Muslim-run animal shelters. This caring couple wants to fight against the social stigma and cultural taboo related with touching dogs and taking care of them like other animals.
Their first dog rescue took place 7 years ago but the dog passed away due to kidney problems. Then, they rescued another dog names Marvela with only two legs. The dog was adopted by the celebrity couple, Harith Iskander and Jezaimne Lim.
Taking care and rehabilitating dogs doesn’t make them any less Muslim than others.
“We can’t change this mentality, especially in our Malay community. Some critics say what we are doing is wrong; it’s haram. But we think Islam teaches us to care for animals and help them survive,” says Nurul Ain.
The animal shelter’s monthly maintenance costs US$3,572 (RM15,000) including the money for the shelter workers’ salaries, veterinary costs, food supplies, and utility bills. Till now, they have nursed and re-homed more than 1,000 of stray cats and dogs.
Not only that, the couple need to spend a lot of money from their own income to take care of their 4-year-old son who has autism.
Although they have received several donations, it is not enough to take care of expenses. Therefore, Muhammad Razeef repairs motorcycles and sells motorcycle accessories as a side income while Nurul Ain does online makeup business.
Well, managing an animal shelter is definitely not an easy task to do after all.
Shoutout to this amazing couple!
Info via: Facebook