Woof is in the air: A special celebration for AirAsia’s four-legged Allstars
Love comes in all shapes and sizes ‒ and specieses! AirAsia’s dedication to upholding its values of compassion and kindness knows no bounds and to usher in the new year with a twist, we celebrated our very own furry family members.
AirAsia is more than just an airline with close to 20,000 staff worldwide; it’s also one of the only companies in Malaysia which houses its own canine rescues. Back in 2016 when AirAsia’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, named RedQ, was being constructed, there was a small group of puppies that were lingering in the area after their mother had been killed by a passing truck. Unable to fend for themselves and left vulnerable to danger out in the open construction site, the then-puppies met Lady Luck when a few animal-loving Allstars stumbled across them and began to feed them daily. Knowing that these pups would soon reach adulthood and join the increasing number of strays in Malaysia, the team acted quickly, bringing the matter to the attention of AirAsia’s founders ‒ Tony Fernandes and Datuk Kamarudin Meranun. Being animal lovers themselves, the duo generously agreed to allocate a small section of RedQ to build a doghouse and graciously adopted all four pups as part of the Allstar family.
Fast forward eight years, the now adult dogs AK, QZ, D7 and FD who passed away in 2020, reside peacefully in ‘DogQ’, their very own home and are looked after by their paw-rents ‒ members of the DogQ committee. All four pooches ‒ who were named after AirAsia’s airline codes ‒ are neutered, vaccinated and licensed by the local council. They are dearly loved by many Allstars, and are indeed ‘man’s best friends’.
The doggos lead uneventful lives, where they are walked and fed daily and while peaceful, they always yearn for more company and of course, more playtime. As a treat for them and to celebrate the new year and a belated Christmas in true AirAsia style ‒ we threw them a New Year/Secret Santa bash ‒ an evening of unlimited fun, belly rubs and treats.
Allstars from various different departments in RedQ, from Security to Communications to Culture and more, attended the pet party and showered our furries with love and gifts. For the dogs, it was the first time they’ve had so many friends to play with, and so many presents to open! Decked in the cutest festive headgear, the three canines were not short of attention. Allstars took turns to play with them and feed them their favorite snacks.
The event also served to raise awareness on the plight of strays around the office vicinity and to encourage more people to do what little they can to help the cause. By the end of the event, the committee had not only raised funds for supplies for the DogQ dogs, but a little more that will go towards the on-going efforts of the committee to help feed the strays in the area that shelter on the streets and are at the mercy of the council. Kudos, Allstars! To more community efforts in the years to come.