SPCA Selangor launches World Cup campaign to boost adoptions

KUALA LUMPUR - The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA Selangor) has launched a creative campaign to find homes for its rescued animals by turning them into football pundits for the ongoing FIFA World Cup.

Dubbed the "World Cup Furry Forecast Campaign", the initiative, which began on July 2, is a collaboration with local food and beverage brands Coco Loca and Real Food. It features 16 rescued cats and dogs from the shelter predicting the winners of matches from the tournament's knockout stages.

Among the furry pundits are Razzy and Raisin, sibling puppies rescued from the streets; Genie, a dilute calico cat found beneath a truck before being brought to SPCA Selangor; and kitten siblings Wanton and Hargow, who were rescued alongside their mother after being found abandoned in a rubbish bin and have been at the shelter since they were newborns.

The campaign aims to connect football fans and animal lovers with the shelter's residents by showcasing their personalities in a light-hearted way while encouraging more people to adopt.

The initiative comes as SPCA Selangor grapples with a decline in successful rehoming despite a steady number of animals entering its shelter. While intake remained virtually unchanged at 191 animals in 2024 and 189 in 2025, the number of animals finding homes fell by 18.2 per cent, from 187 to 153.

The sharpest declines were recorded among puppies and kittens, with the number of puppies finding homes dropping by 19.3 per cent and kittens by 25.9 per cent.

SPCA Selangor currently cares for more than 100 rescued animals, including over 80 dogs and between 20 and 30 cats awaiting permanent homes.

"Ultimately this is our way to help our animals find a furever home as we have seen pet adoptions decline over the years," said SPCA Selangor Honorary Secretary Gerald Tan.

He said dogs continue to face the greatest challenges in finding homes, with fewer than five per cent of the shelter's dogs adopted in a typical month compared with more than 40 per cent of its cats.

"We believe the issue when it comes to dog adoption, especially in the city, is that most people live in apartments and condominiums which do not allow dogs. When we do receive a request, we do try to meet with the management office to see what we can help with, but ultimately it is still an uphill battle," he said.

Using animals to predict tournament outcomes follows a trend popularised globally by Paul the Octopus, who famously predicted match results during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

The "Furry Forecast" videos will be released a day before each knockout match, with viewers able to follow the predictions through the official social media pages of SPCA Selangor, Coco Loca and Real Food.

"We hope that this campaign will be able to rehome these animals who are just looking for a furever home," Tan said.