With a determination that many younger than her might not possess, Lee, better known as Aunty Aileen, secured a new spot to house the many stray dogs and cats she has rescued.
“I came across the new place when I was just driving around looking for a nearby place to rent,” Lee said when FMT Lifestyle caught up with her recently.
As luck would have it, she located a shoplot available for rent a mere 10 minutes away from her home.
“It’s perfect because it’s within walking distance from my house, the market where I buy the strays’ food is also nearby, as well as the place where I do the daily night feeding.
She said that although this new space is slightly smaller than the one she had before, she liked that it was a corner lot.
She said while the rent of the new space is reasonable, she still requires additional funds to renovate it so it can accommodate all the cats and dogs she rescues.
“The total cost of the renovation is estimated at around RM78,000 because of all the kennels and drainage that we have to build. On top of that we also have to set up electrical wiring,” the 66-year-old said, adding that operations at the new spot would be kept the same as the old one, including its boarding and grooming services.
After the previous media coverage of her eviction went viral, Lee said that most of her cats and about half of her dogs were adopted.
To that end, she thanked the public for their kindness and support as she is now able to continue her rescue work.
However, she also received many returns after the adoption drive, with pet owners citing how they did not have enough time to care for the animal. Some were not a perfect fit while others said their neighbours had complained.
“They think it’s easy to keep a pet and don’t want to go through the hard puppy stage, where they’ll bite things due to teething or need to be potty trained.
“As for the larger dogs, it’s usually because of their barking that leads to disagreements with neighbours,” she said, adding people must consider all probabilities before making the commitment to adopt a cat or dog.
The shelter is now appealing to members of the public and corporations to donate towards the renovation works at the new place. Volunteers are also needed to help set the new place up.
“I’m excited for the new chapter in My Pets Haven’s future and I can’t believe we’re going to get a revamp after twelve years. Even though we had no choice in the matter, we’re still going to make the most of it,” Lee said with a smile.
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My Pets Haven’s new address (under renovation)
A-2-G, Galleri Klang Sentral
Jalan Klang Sentral 15/KUS
41050 Klang, Selangor
Contact: 019-6632828