“Be the voice for those who cannot speak.”
For Ranjeny Krishnansamy, caring for animals has never been a choice. It has always been a calling.
Based in Kluang, Johor, Ranjeny is an independent animal rescuer and stray feeder who also works as a pet taxi driver and pet sitter. She is an active member of the animal advocacy movement Execute AWA and a volunteer with Filbert’s Foundation for Furry Friends (F5), balancing multiple roles in service of animals that have no voice of their own.
In an interview with SAYS, Ranjeny shared that her deep sense of responsibility towards animals took root in childhood. As a primary school student, she would secretly bring home kittens and puppies in her school bag, introducing them to her mother only after unzipping it. What began as innocent compassion soon came with heartbreak. At the age of 11, she witnessed a stray dog she regularly fed being shot in front of her, a traumatic experience that continues to stay with her.
As she grew older and learned that many strays caught by local councils were routinely euthanised, Ranjeny made a conscious decision to take action. She said she felt as though she was meant to help animals who could not speak for themselves.
Today, Ranjeny’s home functions as a sanctuary for rescued animals. Injured, abandoned, and sick strays are given shelter and care until they recover. Some are eventually rehomed, while others remain under her care for the rest of their lives.
Beyond rescue work, Ranjeny is also the primary caregiver for her mother, a stroke survivor. To support both her family and her animal welfare efforts, she earns a modest income through pet taxi and boarding services. At the same time, she lives with fibromyalgia, a chronic condition that causes persistent pain and fatigue, adding to the daily challenges she faces.
Despite these circumstances, Ranjeny remains steadfast in her belief that cruelty towards stray animals must be replaced with compassion. She hopes authorities will move away from catch-and-kill policies in favour of humane and sustainable solutions, and urges the public to reject poisoning and violence as responses to the presence of strays.
She believes responsibility for animal welfare lies with everyone and that meaningful progress requires cooperation between government bodies, local authorities, non-governmental organisations, rescuers, and veterinarians.
Ranjeny envisions a future where animal welfare systems are structured and accessible, including round-the-clock veterinary clinics with tiered pricing for rescues and B40 pet owners, shelters in residential areas managed with municipal support, stronger funding and empowerment for animal welfare organisations, and widespread implementation of programmes such as Trap-Neuter-Release-Manage (TNRM). She also emphasises the importance of education initiatives that nurture compassion among children and families from a young age.
Her commitment closely aligns with Execute AWA, Malaysia’s first national humanity mission dedicated to improving animal welfare. Driven by grassroots collaboration, the movement advocates unity, legal reform, and the enforcement of laws that uphold justice and compassion for animals across the country.
“Caring for animals was never a choice for me. It has always been part of who I am.”
Thank you, Ranjeny!
Source / Image Credit : SAYS
