UMPSA students create GebuAdopt, a Digital Platform to support pet adoption process

PEKAN, 25 August 2025 – The idea for the development of GebuAdopt, a web-based platform to strengthen the pet adoption process in Malaysia, was sparked by observations of the increasing number of stray animals in local communities.

The research was conducted by a group of students from the Faculty of Computing (FK), Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA), led by Norakilah Mohd Yunos, together with Muhammad Irfanuddin Shaharin and Azfar Irfan Asri, under the guidance of FK Consulting Fellow, Nurul Syafiqah Zaidi.

The research also received collaboration from a local animal shelter for feedback and user testing purposes.

The research began in early 2024 and was completed in October 2024 as a final year project, and GebuAdopt now exists as a functioning prototype.

According to Norakilah, she observed that the increasing number of strays in the community was due to the absence of a centralised system that could connect shelters with individuals interested in adopting animals.

“Combined with feedback from animal shelters, this inspired the development of GebuAdopt.

“This platform allows registered animal shelters to upload lists of animals available for adoption, complete with details such as species, age, and health status.

“Potential adopters can filter searches, submit applications directly, and use the lost-and-found feature to report missing animals,” she said.

She added that each user, whether shelter, administrator, or adopter, also has a dedicated dashboard to ensure smooth and safe use.

“The main objective of this research is to create a trusted national digital hub for adoption, thereby reducing the number of stray and re-abandoned animals.

“For the industry, GebuAdopt can resolve the problem of inefficient shelter management systems, while for the community, it offers a more structured and transparent adoption process.

“For now, there are preliminary proposals to expand the platform’s functions in the future, including developing a mobile app, collaborating with more shelters, providing donation and sponsorship features, adding multilingual support, and working with veterinary clinics, NGOs, and pet brands for post-adoption support,” she explained.

The estimated basic development cost of this platform is around RM3,800 per year, covering equipment, hosting, and maintenance, though this figure remains at an early estimation stage.

They also hope this project can be expanded into a fully operational platform accessible via web and mobile app, with a target of more than 100 registered shelters, real-time lost animal maps, and a sustainable ecosystem through sharing, donations, and community involvement.

This research won a gold medal at the Creation, Innovation, Technology and Research Exposition (CITREX) 2025, organised by Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA) on 18 to 19 June 2025 at the UMPSA Sports Complex Hall, Gambang Campus.

In addition, this research won a gold medal and Top 20 Finalist at the FYPRO-COM Exhibition 2025.

Most recently, the team was also one of three groups representing UMPSA in the Third Season Innovathon Audition, an initiative under the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) in collaboration with ASTRO, held on 4 and 5 August 2025 at Universiti Malaya (UM), Kuala Lumpur.

By: Nur Hartini Mohd Hatta, Centre for Corporate Communications

Translation by: Dr. Rozaimi Abu Samah, UMPSA Press