Improving the Lives of Strays

While many Indonesians are aware of the relentless efforts to preserve Indonesian wildlife, only a handful are interested in protecting neglected domestic animals. According to Garda Satwa Indonesia, there are 12 million strays living in Jakarta alone and the number is even higher in areas with very few rescue organizations and animal shelters. To make matters worse, animal abuse is also a common occurrence. Pontianak Stray Cats Care (Poscar) works together with Pontianak locals to raise awareness on animal welfare, and has rescued hundreds of stray cats in the West Kalimantan capital. Meanwhile, Welia Iyah, a young kiosk owner from Amuntai, South Kalimantan, runs a small cat shelter single-handedly in her house. To commemorate World Animal Day on October 4, Tempo English reports.