From Start to Profit

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• From Start to Profit

Dr Natasha Lee
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• Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) plan to limit
  owned dogs from 2 to 1 per household.
• SPCA Selangor put forward solution, one of it
  is promoting spay/neuter
• An 8-month neutering campaign in 2002 (weekends)

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• Supported by
• Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra
  Malaysia (UPM)
• Department of Veterinary Services (DVS)
• Veterinary Association of Malaysia (VAM)
• Small Animal Practitioners Association of
  Malaysia (SAPAM)
• Malaysian National Animal Welfare Foundation
  (MNAWF)
• Malaysian Kennel Association (MKA)
• 700 dogs in 8 months
• Encouraging response!

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Klinik Kembiri

• Set up in April 2003
• Initial funds RM40,000 (USD 12,000)
• DBKL
• Place rent free
• Utilities electricity, water, phone
• SPCA
• Staff
• Manage and run the clinic

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Klinik Kembiri

• Many equipment were donated/borrowed
• Autoclave
• Operating lights
• Surgery tables
• Volunteer vets DVS, private

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Total (until May 2008) 10,523 dogs and cats!
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• Klinik Kembiri never aimed for making profit
• Small aim get monthly expenditure covered
• Later include staff salary
• Started making profit at around 2004-2005 (1-2
  years after starting)
• RM 2,000 per month (USD 600)

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Factors leading to Profit

• Contribution from
• DBKL location, utilities
• DVS loan of equipment
• KL Hospital loan of anaesthetic machine
• Permanent vet
• stop paying locum
• save costs (materials/drugs)
• capacity of clinic

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Factors leading to Profit

• Advertising
• media coverage
• distributing targeted flyers
• word by mouth (cheap good good news)
• Awareness
• JAKIM statement Muslim community
• better RPO levels
• SPCAs no kill policy KK as alternative
• Price increase due to complaints
• Generous donors

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Price
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Lessons Learnt

• Klinik Kembiri in DBKL pound
• Need to maintain good relationship
• Lobbying, advising DBKL
• Integrate with registration, microchipping (other
  dog control aspects)
• Licensing/approval of clinic from DVS from the
  start
• Good support from government

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Lessons Learnt

• Complaint from private vets
• Prices too low
• Free/cheap vaccination and treatment
• Having rich clients not from lower class
• Complications of surgery
• Reach agreement
• No pedigree dogs (indicator of rich people)
• Prices same as government clinics
• No vaccination or treatment (unless emergency)

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Current Challenges

• Standards of surgery
• Volunteers variable standards
• No incentive to increase standards
• No monitoring of standards
• Complications
• No emergency number to call afterhours
• No good post-op monitoring

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Current Challenges

• Management
• Bad appointment system
• High staff turnover
• Mixed with private business pet shop
• confuse name of charity
• Mixed messages with pet shop e.g. promotion of
  certain brands of food, promoting sale of cat
  collar/dog choke chain

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Current Challenges

• Relationship with vet associations
• Balancing prices
• Really needy vs those who can afford
• Perception that other vets cheat pet owners
• RPO
• No structure on RPO education / information
• No incentive to promote RPO

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• A model clinic for other municipality
• Mobile outreach
• To places without vet services
• Collaboration with DVS
• Vet student training centre
• As an RPO education centre

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