Malaysia Veterinary Forum (Archive)

Dr. TanDY

First some interesting news about Animal Hotel...

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MASkargo animal hotel spurring growth
By Alfean Hardy

Source: TheEdgeDaily

Date: 16 March 2006

Malaysia Airlines Cargo Sdn Bhd (MASkargo) expects its animal hotel operation to double its contribution to revenue this year on the back of new services and facilities, its senior general manager Datuk J J Ong said.

MASkargo contributed about RM2.5 billion or 28% to Malaysian Airline System Bhd group's revenue in 2005.

Ong said perishables, which include the animal hotel operations, contributed about 5% to MASkargo's revenue. MASkargo’s Animal Hotel is the only one of its kind in Asia.

Speaking to reporters in Sepang on March 16 following the launch of its new services and facilities at the spruced-up Animal Hotel, Ong said he would be surprised if the animal hotel did not double its contribution to revenue this year.

Ong said there were two other airports, in London and Amsterdam, that offered animal hotel services but he said MASkargo’s was the first of its kind to offer spa services to its guests.

Dr. TanDY · Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 8:13 pm Post subject: MASKargo Charges

More details on the MASkargo Animal Hotel (Transportation Services):
(on 16 March 2006)

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Reference is made to the 59th Edition TACT Rules effective 1st October 2003 under Section 7 subsection 7.3.2. No: 3 page 232 on the above matter.

Kindly take note on the following amendments to the charges, which will be effective from 1st January 2004.

Live Animal Handling charges at KLIA (MASkargo Animal Hotel)

General Information:
Handling and Accommodation of Live Animal applicable for Import, Transhipment or Export are categorized as follows :-

Category 1 - Equines
Eg : a) Horses
b) Mules
Category 2 - Domestic Animals
Eg : a) Cattle
b) Sheep
c) Goats
Category 3 - Feathered Animals
Eg : a) Day Old Chicks
b) Day Old Duckling, Goslings
c) Live Birds
Category 4 - Domestic Pets
Eg : a) Cats
b) Dogs
Category 5 - Reptiles/Insects
Eg : a) Snakes
b) Turtles
c) Lizards
d) Bees
Category 6 - Zoological Animals
Eg : a) Tiger
b) Giraffe
c) Lion
d) Monkey

HANDLING AND ACCOMODATION CHARGES:

Information:

Shipment arriving and departing on MH services will enjoy a free accommodation period of 48 hours of ATA.
Shipment arriving and departing on Foreign Carriers will be charged for accommodation per day or part thereof as per Appendix 1.

All the above amendments will be adjusted in the 1st June 2004 issues of the TACT Rules book.

Please be guided accordingly.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

MOHD YUNUS IDRIS
General Manager Cargo Operations

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You can visit MASKargo Animal Hotel web page at:

http://www.maskargo.com/module.php?folder=press&filename=announcement-07

P/S: Note that I'm not in any way affiliated to MASkargo. This post is for your information only.

Dr. TanDY

Another follow-up on Malaysia's Animal Hotel

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Every dog has his day, and better, at Malaysia’s 6-star Animal Hotel

Source: Khaleej Times Online

26 March 2006

SEPANG, Malaysia - A hydro massage in a whirlpool bath for your cat? Perhaps a good run-around in the play area followed by a grooming session to get that shine back on your pet dog’s coat?

All these are possible while you are away on a guilt-free, pet-free holiday.

Creature comforts have taken a new meaning at what is being described as the world’s first animal hotel, promising “6-star luxury facilities” for its furry, feathery and scaly guests.

Operated by the cargo arm of flag carrier Malaysia Airlines, the Animal Hotel near Kuala Lumpur International Airport aims to cater to Malaysians who want top-quality care for their pets when they go away on business or holidays.

“We want to offer peace of mind for passengers traveling out of our airport,” Animal Hotel manager Shamsul Akmal Shamsudin told The Associated Press. “They can go on holiday knowing we are pampering their pets.”

When it opened in 1998, the facility handled only import, export and temporary handling of animals in transit. But anticipating a large potential market for animal care, the facility was given a facelift.

Rebranded as the Animal Hotel, it was re-launched on March 16, offering a wide range of services including boarding and grooming.

“We built 30 air-conditioned kennels and five stables, for a start,” Shamsul said, adding that extra services like the animal spa and pet grooming were on offer for cats and dogs. “We intend to extend similar services to more exotic pets like reptiles, iguanas later on.”

The hotel has a simple but elegant reception area with tiled floors and white walls featuring promotional pictures - a hummingbird hovering near a bowl of exotic blooms, a hippopotamus in a petal-filled bath and a tiger’s paw on an embroidered cushion, getting a pedicure.

From here, a door leads to the stables and air-conditioned canine and feline kennels, each with cushions and stainless steel bowls for water and food.

Sprawling over 4,800 square meters (51,665 sq. feet), the center also includes enclosed pet recreation spaces, paddocks and dedicated areas for reptiles, insects and live laboratory animals. Different species are kept separate.

All the animals must have health certificates verifying that they are healthy and free from disease before they can check in.

The hotel continues to handle live animal shipments passing through the airport. Its 21 staff members deal with seven categories of animals- equine, domestic animals like cows, birds, fish, pets, reptiles and insects and zoological animals that include endangered species.

“Queen bees, bugs, polar bears, penguins, arowana fish, tarantulas, sea lions ... you name it, they’ve all passed through our hotel,” Shamsul said. “Our new stay-in program, however, is for now limited to pets of Malaysian residents who want go on holiday.”

He said the hotel’s new deal beats pet stores offering similar facilities because it is open 24/7 and is more convenient for airport passengers.

He said it is the only airport animal hotel in the world offering a residence program. Similar hotels in London and Amsterdam only cater for animal handling and those in transit, he said.

Although there isn’t a full-time veterinary officer at the hotel, it has a list of 24-hour on-call doctors. The staff also undergo special safety training for handling dangerous animals as well as training by wildlife authorities to identify and care for protected species.

All this for a starting price of 30 ringgit (US$8.10) per kennel per night to 300 (US$81) ringgit for a horse. Meals, spa and luxury treatments cost extra.

The stay-in center has no lodgers yet and the online booking and payment feature in its refurbished Web site is expected to be operational by the end of March.

Future plans include installing Web cameras in each holding area, so that owners can check up on their pets from wherever they are.

Visitors who toured the facility last week left notes in the guest book. One of them read: “This is a very impressive place. The animal will feel better than (at) their owner’s house"