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| Lassie Langkawi |
As a feline lover, this is pure bliss - a stunning sunset vista shared with two furry friends. The tropical sky slowly turns into inky darkness punctuated with twinkling stars while the moonlight cast an eerie glow on the lagoon. My feline companions take their leave to go on their nightly adventure as cats do. Here in this piece of paradise, animals are loved and free to roam without any fear of danger knowing they are safe. This is the home of The Langkawi Animal Shelter and Sanctuary Foundation (LASSie).
ANIMAL SANCTUARY
I am at the resort of Bon Ton in Langkawi island where clients are treated as house guests and informality and friendliness are the order of the day. It is like no other resorts I have ever visited and I make a pilgrimage to this amazing sanctuary year after year to see my furry friends. It is also an excuse to feast on the slurpingly scrumptious Nonya Laksa and the sinfully delicious dessert at their restaurant, Nam, the best eatery on the island.
Unlike conventional hotels, here guests are accommodated in individual antique Malay houses equipped with modern facilities and beautifully decorated in Asian heritage chic. It is a resort with a mission statement to preserve and showcase ASEAN traditional style (Southeast Asian countries in the region), while at the same time to give shelter to stray and neglected cats and dogs. This is the crusade of one woman whose compassion for animals is what Mother Teresa was for the poor in Kolkata in India.
Narelle McMurtrie, an Australian who has made Malaysia her home for over thirty years, came to Langkawi in 1994 to open Bon Ton restaurant and resort having sold her business in Kuala Lumpur. She brought along a few street dogs that she had rescued in the city. She round the problem on the island was the numerous number of stray cats roaming the streets and markets. She decided to set up first veterinary clinic on the island on a charity basis to spay and neuter the cats and releasing them back to their original habitat in an attempt to control the population. Soon, more and more cats and dogs were rescued brought to the resort, some are badly abused or injured.
NO-KILL POLICY
As an animal lover, Narelle sees the potential of this safe haven as an ideal place for an animal shelter. Waifs and strays are brought in - the lame, the one-eyed, the sick, the injured, the three-legged or one-eared moggies and mutts - no animal would be turned away. The sanctuary has a 'no-kill' policy. Six years ago, the project had grown so big that LASSie was set up with the main aim of controlling the stray cat and dog population by sterilization.
Guests are often amused to meet the three wonder dogs of the resort- Buffy, Pipi and Berjaya who look like extras in Ben Hur with their 'chariot wheels' attached to their pelvic area to help with their mobility. Like all the other animals in the resort, they have a traumatic history. They were left to die on the road after being hit by cars and are paralyzed for life. Narelle fitted two-wheel contraptions on their pelvic areas which act as wheelchairs to help them move about. They are quite a sight to behold when they wheel themselves around greeting the guests.
Over a hundred cats are housed in a spacious fenced up area by the clinic at the top of the road leading to the resort. It is comfortable and they are well fed and very well looked after. Cats ate normally territorial and do not tolerate other cats, but here they all live harmoniously, secure in the knowledge that there will always be food for everyone and most of all, they can feel the love given to them. A selected few are let out and become resident cats to keep guests company. They are a delight to be with, so gentle and affectionate. About 135 dogs are housed in a well-designed shelter by a rice field ten minutes' drive from Bon Ton. Shane, Mocha and Milo are three lovely ambassador dogs in residence to meet and greet guests with their wagging tails.
HERITAGE & HISTORY
While others see antique Malay or Chinese houses as dilapidated structures to be demolished to make way for modern concrete breeze blocks, Narelle sees heritage and history in every wall and beam of the houses. She rescued these houses in Langkawi and the mainland and hired skilled local carpenters to re-assemble them piece by piece and transformed them into stylish accommodations in this boutique resort in an old coconut plantation, nestled by a wetland.
The resort is located on the west of the island sheltered by the mountain ranges of Gunung Machincang and Gunung Raya which hold the energy of the area. The commodious compound dotted with eight beautifully restored village or 'kampung' houses for guests, are infused vitalising yang energy as gentle breeze from the sea waft through the resort. It is constructed in harmony with the landscape resulting in a very laid-back and relaxing ambiance, ideal for frazzled city folks to recharge their battery.
A wooden deck overlooking the wet!and by the pool and Jacuzzi is the perfect spot for observing the feathered denizens of the lagoon and enjoying the sunset while shipping cocktails which the bartender excels at mixing. Friendly resident cats would join in and laze about on the deck to keep you company. My kind of heaven! Animals are purveyors of positive chi and it brings life and vitality to the place.
LASSie is funded by Bon Ton and its sister resort Temple Tree and through donations from the public. Volunteers help to clean the kennels and cat shelter and walk the dogs. This is an ideal place for graduate vets to volunteer their service at the clinic. With the ever growing number of abused and neglected animals on the island, LASSie needs support. The public can adopt, sponsor the animals or volunteer their service and donate money online. Staying at Bon Ton and Temple Tree as paying guests and patronize their restaurants would be appreciated as all proceeds help to care for the animals.
As I cuddle a fluffy white cat in my arms, its purr music to my ears, I remember the words of the Dalai Lama, "Life is as dear to a mute creature as it is to man. Just as one wants happiness and fears pain, just as one wants to live and not die, so does the creature." And surely showing compassion to animals will add an extra mileage on your good karma meter. To find out more, you can check out Lassie Langkawi.