[Malinguenem]

Volunteers make a ‘bald’ statement

By DURIE RAINER FONG
durie@thestar.com.my

KOTA KINABALU: Six people, including three women, have gone bald so that stray cats and dogs can have a home.

The animal lovers volunteered to have their heads shaven in a fundraiser to help the construction of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Kota Kinabalu's adoption centre-cum-animal shelter.

And they did it in front of shoppers at the Central Plaza shopping centre here yesterday.



Bald and beautiful: Yap bracing herself as her hair is shaved off.

SPCA Kota Kinabalu head of education Sabrina Aripen said they needed at least RM20,000 more so that their dream of having a proper shelter could come true.

The volunteers pledged to raise funds and in return, shave their heads completely bald as a gesture of awareness, sympathy and empathy for animals in need.

Renovation work costing RM100,000 on the centre in Penampang near here stalled last year due to lack of funds.

Sabrina said SPCA Kota Kinabalu planned to place about 300 cats and dogs at the centre once it was completed, adding that SPCA Kota Kinabalu volunteers were keeping the animals at their homes presently.

One of the volunteers, Selina Yap, was nervous about losing all her hair.

“I'm going to be bald but it's for a good cause. The hair will grow back anyway.

“I fully support the idea of having a proper shelter for animals in Sabah,” said the 35-year-old dog lover, who helped save stray dogs from an island with her friends last year.

Another volunteer, Hajinder Kler, later overcame her fear of having her hair cut since she was small.

“Since my friends have contributed the money, I went through with it. It wasn't as bad as I had imagined it,” said the 36-year-old communications officer for an orang utan conservation programme.