Francis Ngu, a dedicated shopkeeper from Bintulu Sarwak, has become a local hero for his commitment to animal welfare. For the past five years, he has been waking up at 3 a.m. in the morning to cook a massive meal for over 80 stray dogs.
The lights are on in his kitchen, where he’s busy chopping various dishes like chicken, steaming liver, and mixing rice for the 80 stray dogs scattered across town.
Francis, after relocating with his family from Brunei, never imagined that he would spend his days feeding strays.
However, in 2014 he founded the Extrameal Bintulu Project, which primarily aims to distribute food and necessary items to dogs, especially those overlooked by welfare support.
In conversation with SAYS he said, “I am blessed to have my supportive wife and children, who are also compassionate towards dogs and cats. My wife helps with the feeding at a location near our shop and those that come to our house daily ....”
Francis is a firm believer of Trap-Neuter-Release-Manage (TNRM)- which is a human alternative to euthanasia for reducing community stray cat and dog populations.
He calls himself a “solo feeder” and does not personally go out hunting for strays, as most of them dump at his feeding stations.
On the other hand, he pays for their food and medical needs through shop earnings.
He further expressed, “Remember the dogs and cats to be born as strays. So, let us unite for legal reform and humane management for strays. Being a stray is not a crime.”
Francis Ngu ultimate goal is to see a significant change in Malaysia to handle its animal stray population.
He hopes that national authorities should take pivotal steps on a larger scale, instead of relying on ineffective culling.