Not many people would see a stray animal running around and decide to bring it into their home. What’s more, not many people would make this their life’s work. However, that’s not the case for Dr Roslee Abbas who has been rescuing stray animals for years. He is also the founder of HEART HElping Animals Rescue Team in Sabah.
Dr Roslee Abbas is a senior lecturer in the University Malaysia Sabah and has been lecturing there for over 20 years. He holds a deep passion for serving and giving back to the community, especially when animals are involved. He also once served as the Vice-President of the Kota Kinabalu Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Although he is Muslim, this is not a barrier for him in touching all types of animals. In fact, he has studied the Quran in-depth to understand the teachings in regards to certain animals. He learnt that the religious text mentions that dogs’ saliva contains bacteria and viruses.
Thus, there is a need to wash oneself properly after touching dogs. Fortunately, soaps that contain traditional ingredients are easily accessible for him. Furthermore, he points out that the Quran encourages people to be kind to animals.
Therefore, Dr Roslee has no hesitation in helping all sorts of animals. He has rescued cats, dogs, and even once touched a pig. One day on his way home he saw a pig that was run over by another vehicle. He then carried the pig to a nearby forest area and buried the carcass.
Now, he runs HEART HElping Animals Rescue Team in Sabah. The group works towards rescuing any stray animals caught in risky situations. The most recent one includes rescuing a rottweiler in a monsoon drain.
However, running a group like this can be quite costly especially because they do not receive funding from the government. In fact, up to 80% of Dr Roslee’s salary goes towards buying food and medicine for the cats and dogs they take care of.
Check out the HEART Facebook page to see what kind of rescue missions they carry out as well as the animals they take care of. If you are able to then maybe consider making a small donation to help them. If not, then sharing their page with your friends and family is a great gesture!
