Pet project that can’t be ignored

Yao Aiping, a 57-year-old retiree, arrives at the Shanghai Botanical Garden in Xuhui district at 5:30 am every day. She has made the journey for seven years in order to feed the cats there.

"From my 2,000 yuan ($317) monthly pension, I can barely afford to feed the 100 stray cats in the park," she said. "So I also collect leftovers from nearby canteens."

Yao said she prepares at least 5 kilograms of food every day. And the Shanghai Botanical Garden has recently agreed to let Yao set up temporary boxes for the cats to shelter from the rain and cold.

As a mother of two dogs and a cat myself, I sympathize with Yao's hardship after interviewing her for the Global Times. I began a donation drive to help collect cat food for the strays and we were overwhelmed by the response. Within three days, we had received 220 kilograms of dry cat food.

However, bad news arrived when we heard that some residents who exercise in the garden had threatened to kill the cats because they made too much noise.

Conflicts between animal lovers and local residents aren't exactly new in Shanghai, and it is difficult to balance the conflict between both parties. I believe both cats and people should share the park, yet I understand why some people have phobias around stray cats and dogs.

It's undeniable that we have to curtail the population growth of strays. According to a local vet, the rate at which cats breed means that the current garden tally of 100 could double in less than six months.

So the best way to tackle this problem is to have the cats spayed or neutered, and then to find effective stray cat and dog shelters where they can be properly taken care of.

The heartbreaking news is that there is no proper animal shelter funded by local authorities. A few animal rights groups, including Jaiya's Animal Rescue, are trying to fill in the gap, but such private groups get little funding outside of donations.

In Hong Kong, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was established in 1921, and the government-subsidized body has saved thousands of abandoned animals from the street. This is the kind of organization that Shanghai needs to solve the conflict between animal lovers and other residents.

A government-subsidized animal rescue organization means residents can send stray cats and dogs to a trusted facility. A pet rescue organization is no silver bullet, but it can help the city eventually establish a balance between animals and residents.

Many would argue that China has 1.30 billion people and many are living below the poverty line, so it would be better to use the money to feed starving children than stray cats. But what I am promoting is a sense of humanity. A caring community for stray cats and dogs is only one part of transforming our city into a harmonious and humane place for all.