Following the successful “Animals Cared with Treatment (ACT Johor)” project with Majlis Bandar Johor Bahru (“MBJB”) or Johor Bahru City Council in 2024-25, Social Hero Foundation (“SHF”) continued ACT Johor 2026 with its 6th session on 28 October 2026 in Johor Bahru.
During the 5 ACT Johor sessions in 2024 and 2025, 932 stray dogs were neutered, vaccinated against diseases like rabies, cleaned and offered for adoption by the public under its “Trap, Neuter & Rehome” programme.
The 6th ACT Johor session saw 200 stray dogs being neutered, cleaned and vaccinated by a dedicated team of volunteers comprising 14 doctors, 13 veterinary nurses and 8 volunteers.
MBJB Health Director Dr. Aslinda Salikin, SHF Trustee Datuk Seri Teo Shiok Fu and SHF ACT Johor Programme Coordinator Delaney Rodrigues were also present.
ACT Johor is a more organised, holistic, sustainable and efficient programme to address and manage the stray dog situation in Johor Bahru. With this programme, the community will become safer, reduce the risks of diseases such as rabies, reduce the current and future stray dog population and also allow the treated dogs to be adopted.
SHF Trustee Datuk Seri Teo added that the “Trap, Neuter & Rehome” programme was a meaningful initiative by MBJB to address a growing social problem in Johor Bahru which now appeared to be better managed. This was a meaningful and important initiative, and SHF is grateful that MBJB has continued with this initiative in 2026. Up to 23 October 2026, MBJB has received 256 complaints about stray dogs and 1,589 stray dogs have been captured in Johor Bahru under MBJB area.
According to SHF Trustee Edey Suresh, ACT Johor is not just about animal welfare. It is also about creating safer neighbourhoods, reducing public health risks, and ensuring people and animals can coexist responsibly. The success of the earlier sessions showed us that collective action works. With ACT Johor 2026, we want to move beyond managing the problem towards preventing it through neutering, education and responsible pet ownership.
SHF’s Delaney noted that there was a drop in both the number of stray dogs being captured recently and reported cases of diseases from the stray dogs which showed that the ACT Johor programme has been successful.
The issue of stray dogs has also attracted the attention of the Johor State Government. The State Government will introduce the Johor Stray Animal Control Action Plan 2027-2031 to address the issue of stray dogs, especially in rural areas. According to Johor State Housing and Local Government Committee Chairman YB Dato’ Haji Mohd Jafni bin Md Shukor in October 2026, the Johor Stray Animal Control Action Plan will include specific standard operating procedures (SOP) on handling stray dogs.
ACT Johor 2026 is another meaningful community service initiative carried out by SHF together with MBJB. In 2024 and 2025, SHF carried out several meaningful community service projects to help, among others, the Orang Asli community at Kampung Orang Asli Suku Seletar Pasir Salam in Ulu Tiram, the 300 fishermen and their families in Mersing and the residents of the Larkin Flats in Johor Bahru.
