JOHOR BAHRU: Compassion and kindness abound as Holiday Inn Johor Bahru City Centre (HIJBCC) staff visited the Persatuan Perlindungan dan Peliharaan Haiwan Terbiar Skudai or Homeless & Orphan Pets Exist (HOPE) animal shelter in Pekan Nenas recently.

The 27 hotel staff earlier taught it was only going to be a general visit but they ended up bathing and caring for the dogs and cats at the shelter.

Angelyn Chen, HIJBCC assistant Marcom manager said the hotel donated 50 kilograms of pet food and 80 kilograms of sand for the pet litter boxes.

According to Angelyn, their visit taught them the importance of providing attention and care to animals who cannot communicate their needs.

“Our visit also highlighted the significance of identifying injured animals requiring additional care and support,” she said.

There are currently over 2,000 cats and dogs sheltered here. It operates as a 100% no casualties animal shelter, welcoming all breeds of dogs and cats.

The centre provides vital rehabilitation services, including emergency medical care, treatment for chronic conditions, quality nutrition and nutritional supplements to nurse animals back to health, overcoming starvation syndrome.

HOPE plans to reduce suffering in the world and advocate humane behaviour through education and provision of rescue, rehabilitation, and shelter to abandoned, neglected, and abused dogs.

The centre hopes the government will create more stringent legislations to protect and rescue strays and establish a harmonious relationship between man and animals.

The hotel staff were deeply moved by the experience of helping out at the shelter and it reminded them of the importance of being kind to animals.

They felt a strong sense of empathy towards the animals at the shelter, particularly those who have yet to find their forever home.

Angelyn felt that the animals at the shelter would benefit from human interaction and care.

“It would be nice if people would consider adopting them so that these animals can have a home with their new families,” she said.

The labour of love made them lost track of time they were surprised that by the end of the visit the staff had spent almost three hours cleaning cages, refreshing litter boxes, bathing and cleaning the animals.

“Given the overwhelmingly positive response from the staff and recognizing the needs of the shelter, we intend to return and make it a quarterly activity for the team,” she said.

Meanwhile, the hotel’s newly appointed general manager Emelyn Rosales who was part of the entourage said they are planning for other charity events like World Children’s Day (WCD) which falls on November 20.

Emelyn said they are committed to making a positive impact in the community.

She said WCD is the perfect opportunity for corporate partners to show their commitment for children and stand up and be a change maker.

“It is also the right day to unlock their creativity, bring staff together with participatory activities and share with their networks a CSR message that is close to their heart,” she said.

On the hotel’s aspiration for charitable activities, she said HIJBCC want to foster a culture of compassion among its employees.

“Through these charitable acts, we aim to instill a sense of empathy for all living beings and encourage the team members to allocate their time to assist those in dire straits,” she iterated.

The compassionate spirit cultivated through their charity efforts, will also extend to how they serve their guests, forming an integral part of their hospitality efforts.