A 65-year-old lorry driver, Viriya Raman dedicates his evenings to feeding around 100 stray dogs in the Gombak region.
In an isolated quarry, where many of these dogs are left to fend for themselves, often by heartless former owners, Viriya ensures they don’t go hungry. Starting from his kitchen in the Kampung Indian Settlement in Batu Caves, Viriya travels to over 10 different locations every evening to make sure each dog gets fed.
His journey began in 2010, when a heartbreaking scene changed his life forever. While sitting in his lorry, Viriya saw a mother dog kill a cat and run away with its body. Curious, he followed her into the jungle and saw that she was feeding the cat’s meat to her puppies. He realised that the mother dog was too malnourished to produce milk for her pups. Moved by the sight, he bought a packet of rice and gave it to her. But soon, other hungry dogs began looking his way, and he couldn’t bear to leave them without food.
From that day, Viriya made it his mission to care for the strays. At first, he collected leftovers from local eateries, but during the pandemic, one of the hardest times for stray animals in Malaysia, he began cooking fresh meals for them every day. He now prepares around 25kg of rice and 40kg of chicken daily, ensuring that even the smallest dogs can eat comfortably.
Despite his efforts, there are often more dogs than food. To bridge the gap, he buys kibble as well. Viriya spends about RM300 daily to feed the dogs and has even covered the cost of neutering nearly 40 of them, all from his own pocket. He welcomes donations of rice and kibble from the public to help him continue his work.
Though friends and relatives help him in the kitchen, Viriya shoulders most of the responsibility. “I don’t have any spare time for entertainment,” he admits, but he has no intention of stopping.
Despite suffering from asthma, Viriya loads tubs of food into his Kancil every evening and drives along Jalan Gombak, stopping at various locations to feed the dogs, even if there are only a few. His final stop is at the top of a quarry, where over 50 dogs eagerly await his arrival. “I don’t even need to sound the horn – the moment they hear my car engine, they rush to the roadside, wagging their tails,” he says.
The dogs, young, old, injured, and disabled will gather around him, eagerly devouring the food he brings. Whether it’s the weekend or a public holiday, Viriya never misses a day. “These dogs live in a remote area near the jungle. If I don’t feed them, no one else will. I can’t sleep at night knowing they haven’t eaten,” he said at the end.
Source / Image Credit : FMT