Animal Angel-Dr Chan Kah Yein
I have recently been hearing a lot about a wonderful animal lover and rescue Dr Chan Kah Yein, who is the founder-coordinator of the independent animal initiative called Animal Care. Some of my students have been in touch with her over the last year or so, and I have always heard good news about Dr Chan and what she is doing for animals. I rejoice from my heart.
I’d like to share some information about her because I think she is really an inspiration. She shows us what another fellow Malaysian can do for others, humbly, with no agenda and with only the powerful wish to help others. She shows us what an ordinary person can do if they have an extraordinary heart.
Dr Chan has a Ph.D in Education and teaches at a local college in the suburb of Subang. She has her own family and at the same time is also a Dharma speaker among the Buddhist community of Malaysia. She is often invited to give Dharma discourses at various centres and organisations. So she is highly qualified both in her field and also as just a wonderful human being with many of the qualities that we should all aspire to develop.
More importantly is her committed and successful work to help animals. She founded her own independent animal rescue group called Animal Care which she continues to coordinate today. Her group is run entirely by volunteers and Dr Chan herself spends a lot of her own time on this project. She also has her own blog which has details on all the work with animals that she does with the group.
They don’t have a physical base but they focus on a programme called CNRM which stands for Care Neuter Rehome/Return and Manage. This means that they focus a lot of their efforts to solve the root of the problem of stray animals by encouraging spaying and neutering of stray animals. If they can, they find homes for these animals but if they can’t, then they return the animals to their colony.
Dr Chan states a very clear and beautiful mission on her blog:
- To promote care-giving to stray animals
- To help in the spay-neuter and medical needs of stray animals
- To cultivate compassion to animals through education
Animal Care is currently run mainly by Dr Chan and a group of volunteers. They do some rescue work and when there are enough volunteers, they also participate in fairs/bazaars/pet events around the city by having a booth to promote awareness of their work. At these events, they also educate the public on animal welfare and their CNRM programme.
At the same time, she helps other independent animal rescuers by posting announcements and appeals for help on her blog and sponsoring some animal rescues whenever she has the funds. She was very helpful when we were rescuing Sara the stray dog recently. She helped us to put the word out among her own network of animal lovers to raise funds and to put their dogs forward for blood transfusion, if Sara needed it.
Dr Chan is also Buddhist. She gives many Dharma talks throughout the city and she’s even invited to be on a panel of speakers together with other Malaysian monks and Sangha members. You can see why she is so respected because her actions speak just as loud as her words. She really puts her Dharma talks into action. Almost anyone in the Buddhist community of Malaysian would have heard of Dr Chan. I respect her very much for her contribution to helping animals, which she does quietly, without expecting any praise, and with so much care.
Dr Chan has also written several books about animal welfare with many very inspiring stories about animal rescues and how these animals battle some very terrible circumstances to come out healthy and strong and happy. Her books have gone into several reprints and she always makes them free, so more people can receive the knowledge and education she shares through the books. It’s such a wonderful way to educate the public and encourage other people to develop more care for their animals.
You can see how she incorporates a lot of very beautiful Buddhist principles into her writing – it just about sharing good, kind, loving principles with others, especially on how to handle and care for animals. It’s about being a good human being. Her newest book, See you at Rainbow Bridge talks about death and animals. It has a very strong message about not putting animals to sleep. Instead, she explains how you can help an animal to die with dignity and give him the best possible quality of life and a lot of love and care until his very last day. You can go here to see all her books/writings and download e-books.
I know she has been very helpful to our own Kechara people. When they were doing research about animal shelters and animal welfare (for our Kechara Animal Sanctuary), Dr Chan spent many hours talking to them, answering their questions and giving them a lot of advice. She even took them on a trip to an animal shelter all the way in Bentong, where she was donating lots of food and supplements to the animals there.
I have heard many times that she does not ever talk about herself or her own personal needs, she never complains even though the work can be very difficult and fraught with obstacles. She just lights up and is so happy and passionate when she talks about the animals, about their personalities, about their success stories and about what else we can do for them. She is a real dakini for the animals.
What an inspirational, kind lady Dr Chan is, who really puts what she learns about compassion directly into action for all these animals, without any agenda. She may be just one person, but she is really making a difference to the lives of many because she CARES and she goes all the way to help these animals. Just think of how many lives she must have saved! And how many more people she has inspired to do the same and save more lives. I know she has definitely inspired me to do more.
I really thank Dr Chan for all her efforts and love for these animals. Thank you for showing many, many people that they can also make a big difference and showing them how to do it. May you please help more animals and be successful in all your work. And may you always be blessed by the Three Jewels to have long life, good health and success in your life. I offer my humblest prayers that your mission will grow even more and create awareness with same types of beneficial actions springing up everywhere.
With prayers,
Tsem Rinpoche
At one of the drives that Dr Chan has one of the books written by Dr Chan
Dr Chan with our Kechara Care head, Su Ming
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Recently, I walked into a pet shop to look for some milk for my six 2 months-old kittens . I fell into conversation with the lady-owner, and when she learned that my kittens and the mum are strays that I had rescued, she immediately gave me the contact of Dr. Chan and urged me to contact her as she will certainly help to subsidise the cost of spaying my cat and her kittens. Such is the renown of Dr Chan as an animal lover and rescuer!
Yes, Malaysian animal lovers who would actively engage in animal rescue ,through an organised initiative like Dr Chan’s “Animal Care” , are rare.Her writing books about animal care with inspiring real accounts of animal rescue, as well as her giving talks and advice passionately on this topic make her a very powerful animal rights and welfare advocate.Through her care and active engagement with animal care and rescue, she has brought much relief from suffering to many animals.
What a wonderful animal angel you are Dr Chan, showing compassion in action,a hallmark of a true Buddhist practitioner!
A beautiful lady with a big heart. Thank you Dr. Chan for giving so much care and love to this animals and help them relief their sufferings!
Dear Rinpoche, by reading the story above I understand that Dr.Chan is a very caring lady. It is amazing how she create her own animal group and also giving Dharma teachings. I was wondering if ABC (Animal Befrienders Coalition) can do some activities with Dr.Chan. It is great to have people like Dr.Chan in this world so that they can save more animals.
I am glad to be part of your animal angel team. I am also part of MIAR which is another animal rescue team. Kindly, let me know how I can be actively involved.
Dr.Chan, thank you for being such an angel and for devoting your time to help the creatures that cannot thank you for your help..
Action speaks louder than words. and Dr.Chan’s actions definitely spoke volumes. You are such an inspiration, Dr.Chan. Thank you so much! Really an angel! =)
Thank you for sharing, Rinpoche!
Dear dr chan, my place in cheras has a stray mama dog.want to spay the mama dog.i m a hse wife .can u help to spay the dog.thanks
Yes. Dr. Chan is a real angel. I have been following her blog for nearly a year. Until lately I sent an email to her asking her opinion on an injured kitten which I rescued. I never thought that she is so willingly to assist me in the medical cost for this kitten as I was a total stranger to her. She never even see me before. But after seeking 2nd opinion from her panel vet, the chances to correct the kitten injuries condition (she has multiple pelvic fractures) is very slim therefore we never proceed. The kitten is safe, still healthy with me now. Reali appreciate for what she has done and the advices she has given me. Thank you Dr. Chan. You are a real ANGEL sent from HEAVEN.
Dr Chan..she’s awesome..i’ve read her book..pawprints on my heart..niceeeeeeeee book… 😉
O.M.G!!! it her!!! yes its her!! no wonder she look familiar!
she was d aurthor of “little steps, joyful steps” !!!!!!!!!!!
i LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE HER BOOKS!
wonder whre is she teachng dharma now… hope to hv meet tis ‘angel’ personally… a truly magnificient person.
Can you let me know where can I buy her books ?
We love you Dr Chan – thank you for your big heart, your selflessness, kindness and for bringing so much relief and happiness to other beings.
Rinpoche said to us the other day, “If we can make even one animal happier for one day, let’s do it”. You show how this can be a reality, for many happy days for many animals.