NUFF NANG

Sunday, September 30, 2007

Is this how we treat man's best friend?

Extracted from The New Straits Times, 30 Sept 2007

It's a common sight in any urban township. Except that in most cases, dogcatchers seldom exercise restraint when going after strays or even pets.

IT is one day an 11-year-old girl will unlikely forget. On July 15, a group of armed men stormed into her neighbourhood in Labuan and shot her pet dog twice in front of her house compound.They hoisted the badly wounded dog, still kicking alive, by its tail and left.Jonathan Ang, father of the Year Five student, says his daughter is still having nightmares and has yet to recover from the trauma.The 20 to 30 “trained sharp-shooters” were deployed by the Labuan Corporation's Veterinary Department to eliminate strays in the area, with help from the People's Volunteer Corp (Rela).

In the 12-day operation which started on July 9, 471 dogs were killed, falling short of the targeted 500.A bounty of RM30 was set on each killed dog, says Ang.On that day, Ang's daughter Jocelyn, together with 10 other children, were playing with her dog in a playground in Taman Sea View when the men arrived and shouted at them to stay away.They shot Jocelyn's dog in the leg, and gave chase when the dog ran towards the house, shooting at it a second time in full view of the screaming children.

Ang can't fathom why a dangerous weapon like the rifle was used, why pets were killed, and why children had to be exposed to such cruelty.“There was no regard for safety. A missed shot hit the wall of my fence. There were people running around at that time! What if a stray bullet had hit someone? “My dog didn't die instantly. I don't know how to explain the incident to my daughter. It was just inhumane.”In the Klang Valley, some captured strays have been subjected to a slow and painful death, says a witness.

Most municipal councils lease dog catching contracts to contractors, and some to private dogcatchers.Operations are conducted occasionally, but some contractors catch dogs as and when they like, says the source.“Municipal councils pay RM35 to RM50 for a dog, so it's good business (for dogcatchers). They no longer act based on public complaints. “At times, they encroach on other territories to hunt for more dogs - strays or pets.”In Balakong, there was a case of dogcatchers lowering a rope into a workshop compound to lasso a blind puppy out.

Animal rights activist Jacqueline Tsang says dogcatchers have no right to trespass on a private premise to get a dog, regardless of whether or not the dog has a licence.What they can do is to issue a summons or a warning letter requesting the owner to apply for a licence.However, the authorities can catch any unleashed dog outside the house compound. It is learnt that three-quarters of the dogs in the Kuala Lumpur City Hall pound are owned, but were caught when irresponsible owners let them out to roam.

Some dogcatchers don't hand over their catch to the municipal council straightaway but keep the dogs in their vehicle instead.They make a trip to the council only when the vehicle's loaded with 20 to 30 dogs.Due to lack of space, many puppies and smaller dogs are trampled to death, and deadly fights break out among the bigger ones.If the dogs fight or are too noisy, the catchers would hit them with a stick. Fierce dogs have been beaten to death, the source says.Food and water are not given as the rationale is money should not be wasted on dogs that are going to be put down in the pound with a lethal injection, as is the procedure.

Dogs locked up in a dogcatchers' vehicle instinctively know their fate, says a dog lover.



Cruelty knows no bounds. Wires instead of rope are used to tie the dogs caught, constricting their throat and airway

As it can take up to weeks for the vehicle to be filled, dogs caught earlier would have died of starvation or thirst. Some dogs, due to extreme thirst, lap up a dead dog's fluids which flow from its mouth.“The stench of the dogcatchers’ van is horrible due to the many carcasses,” says the source. “Dogs can smell it from afar and make for a dash when they see the van but most of the time, they fail to escape when surrounded by up to four catchers.“Once caught and placed inside the van, these dogs can sense their fate. “Would you believe me if I say these dogs cry? They don't just howl. They have tears.“It is a pitiful sight I hope no one will ever have to see.”

Strays should be caught but they must be treated as humanely as possible, says the source.“There is a procedure. Catch the dogs, hand them over to the pound, and wait for a week or two to see if someone claims them. “If not, put them to sleep. At least in the pound, the dogs are fed.“A criminal on death row is given anything he wishes to eat before he is sent to the gallows. Why can't the same be done for animals? “Please let them die with dignity, they didn't ask to be born as strays.”

It is learnt that some dogcatchers are also involved in dognapping, selling pedigree at a discounted rate to pet shops in the Klang Valley.Some offer a full refund if the dog dies within two weeks. Another source, who had stumbled upon a dogcatchers’ van and pitied a captured dog, had bought it for a couple of hundred ringgit.The dog was diagnosed with severe dehydration.

The problem is compounded when dogcatchers are not trained and when there's no proper procedure, says Christine Chin, chairperson of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals (SPCA) Selangor.“Some municipal councils like Klang, Kajang and Ampang Jaya do not even have pounds.“Where then are these animals placed? How are they put down? Are there qualified professionals to supervise euthanasia?“And our repeated requests to witness how dogs are put down in the Selayang pound have never been entertained. It's all a mystery.“We have written to the municipal councils for years, but have never received a reply. If there's no proper handling, it goes against the good practice set by the Department of Veterinary Services.”

Chin says the Klang Municipal Council recently agreed to set up a pound but pleas to other councils have fallen on deaf ears.Kuala Lumpur City Hall's pound is a model and should be emulated, she adds.

When the New Sunday Times contacted the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council and asked where dogs caught are sent to, a public relations officer said, “Adalah tempat khas dia (There's a special place for that).”The council's deputy environmental health officer, Ghazali Abdul Wahab, says the dogs are given an injection and disposed of in a dumpsite in Klang.He says the setting up of a pound is taking longer due to the high costs involved, which he puts at RM50,000-RM60,000.

The Klang and Kajang municipal councils couldn't be reached.It is not known how owners can go about claiming pets, which have been mistaken for strays and captured by municipalities without pounds.A few sources claim that employees of Vet-Fine (M) Sdn Bhd - the contractor for the Ampang Jaya, Selayang and Johor Bahru municipal councils - do not adhere to humane dogcatching practices.

Its managing director Dr Nor Bakry Mat Drus, acknowledges that there have been ‘one or two allegations’ but dismisses the claims.“I checked each and every allegation, but so far, there is no improper practice,”“The definition of humane and inhumane practices is very subjective. When the police round up people, it might look rough to outsiders, but it's the normal way of doing things,”“I'm a registered veterinarian answerable to the Veterinary Association of Malaysia and the Malaysian Veterinary Council,”“If my company is cruel, my contract wouldn't have been extended,”Nor Bakry says his service is of great help to municipalities in keeping the population of strays to a minimum.

In Ampang Jaya alone, 250-300 dogs must be caught each month alone, he adds.He urges councils to look into shortcomings like the lack of funds in addressing this issue.Chin says SPCA has received tipoffs from concerned individuals on the whereabouts of cruel dogcatchers, but tracing them is almost impossible as they don't stay put at a spot long enough and can resort to violence.

“Once, for two to three days in a row, a gang of them drove past SPCA and yelled abuse at us. They were very threatening.”SPCA has been lobbying in vain for municipalities and the veterinary department to set guidelines on dogcatching and act against cruel practices, but a recent meeting might turn things around.The department has agreed to let SPCA draft out the guidelines, says Chin.

Proposals include compulsory registration and training for dog handlers, and hiring handlers who hold animal welfare in high esteem.“The dogcatching profession should be revamped. Instead of dogcatchers, we should have ‘animal wardens', people who like animals but treat their job as a job, not a business.”

Attempts to contact the department for comment were unsuccessful.Chin says irresponsible owners who allow their dogs to breed but turn the puppies to the streets are equally at fault.Animal cruelty is an offence, but the Animal Ordinance 1953, which imposes a maximum fine of RM200 and/or six months’ imprisonment, reflects how trivial animal welfare is in Malaysia, a far cry from neighbouring countries.

“Every country recognises animal cruelty, except ours,” says Chin.

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To help curb animal cruelty, please write in to the Malaysian press to urge the government to impose stiffer penalties on people guilty of cruelty to animals.

editor@thestar.com.my

letters@nstp.com.my

newsdesk@thesundaily.com

editor@malaysiakini.com

editorial@sinchew.com.my

bhnews@bharian.com.my

news@nstp.com.my

metro@thestar.com.my

pengarang@utusan.com

editor@nanyang.com.my

tcpb@po.jaring.my

mmnews@nstp.com.my

am@hmetro.com.my

gmkl@guangming.com.my

bgns@bernama.com


Government Departments
kadir@jphpk.gov.my
selayangmesra@mps.gov.my


International organisations that you can write to:
wspa@wspausa.com
Info@peta.org
info@dogsdeservebetter.org
wspa@wspa.org.uk
wspa@wspa.org.au
wspa@wspa.ca
contact@gan.ca
info@bluecross.org.uk
afa@afa-online.org
press@api4animals.org
info@ari-online.org
info@rightsforanimals.org
info@speakcampaigns.org
dog@dogpeople.org
info@pet-abuse.com

Friday, September 28, 2007

PLEASE HELP FIND STELLA & OREO

Dear all,

I have just received an email from the owners of Stella & Oreo (two dogs that were stolen from their home about 10 weeks ago). They are now unsure if they will ever see their dogs again, but are pleading to anyone who has any information regarding their dogs to please contact them. They miss their dogs very much and all they want is for their dogs to come back to them safely. If you have any information on these 2 dogs, please call

RAFIQ, at 016-237 6129 or
DEBY, at 012-235 2125.


Stella - Female German Shepherd 2.5 years old

Oreo (Myra) - Female Siberian Husky 7 months old

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Their story was highlighted again in The New Straits Times, 29 Sept 2007

Here is their story:

"Hello. My name is Rafiq. With my wife Nadia, we have three dogs; Stella - a 2.5-year-old female German Shepherd, Felix - a 1.5-year-old male Siberian Husky, and a newly adopted Myra/Oreo a 7-month-old female Siberian Husky. We live in a newly developed area in Saujana Puchong.

"We first met Stella when she was still a 4-week-old puppy in a dog-pound in Australia. The moment we saw her, we knew she would be with us forever. We returned to Malaysia 1.5 years ago due to work duties, and we brought Stella along with us. In November 2006, we read that an 1-year-old abandoned male Siberian Husky was up for adoption. Nadia had always wanted a Husky. Hence, we went through an interview with the Husky's foster family, passed the interview and soon later, brought him (we then renamed him Felix) home to be with our elder girl. Just last month, a friend of ours could no longer take care of her then 6-month-old Husky Myra, we offered to adopt her as well. Due to the fact that Nadia's sister is name Myra, we opted to rename our newest baby to Oreo.

"My wife Nadia works for Petronas Adventure Team and she has just left Malaysia on a 9-weeks long annual Petronas expedition.

"Two days ago (on Friday 13 July 2007), I bathed the three monkeys and left them out in our front porch to dry off. It was lunchtime, and being lazy to cook, I drove out to our nearby mamak to grab some lunch. I wanted to eat at the mamak, but something made me do otherwise. I ordered to take-away my lunch instead and drove that 5-minutes distant home.

"When I arrived home, I was in shock to see our gates bent and broken. I stepped out of my car to have a closer look and found no greetings from either of our three monkeys. My heart beat faster. I called to my dogs --- no answer. I looked over to where I had tied Felix & Myra/Oreo earlier --- no dogs. I called Stella --- she didn't come to me. My heart beat faster. Stella "I ran out to see if they are running all over the neighbourhood. Ten doors down, a kid called to me. "Abang, adik nampak Feliks lari sini sana tadi" (Mister, I saw Felix running around just now) the 10-year old kid told me. "Dan adik nampak satu kereta merah ambil Stella dan Oreo" (And I saw a red car take Stella and Oreo away) he continued.

"I quickly drove out to the guard house to see if the guards saw anything. The guards confirmed that they did earlier see a red Honda Jazz take away 2 dogs. These are new guards, hence, they believed that the people in the car were our friends who came over to take the dogs out for some fun. I asked why did they "believe" that. They told me that the driver was an Indian man, who left behind me when I first left to buy lunch. And shortly after, came back with an Indian kid not more than 10 years old. Then they left again with 2 dogs sitting in the backseat. The fact that there was a child in the car and the 2 dogs were not putting up any fights, they "believed" that
these thieves were friends of ours.

"Then I knew for sure. MY DOGS WERE STOLEN FROM MY HOUSE!

"A friend of mine rushed over to my house when I called, and immediately we printed out flyers and pasted them at all the veterinary clinics in Puchong area. We then lodged a stolen-dogs police report. The police were very helpful assuring us that they will do everything they can to help us locate our "polis anjing" (police dog - a nickname our police force gives to German Shepherds) and Husky. Our other friends are also helping us by mass e-mailing their friends of our plea. We have also put up flyers in Damansara Utama, Taman SEA, Taman Megah, Damansara Jaya and SS2 ever since.

"I urge you to please let me know if you have seen any dogs looking like Stella and Myra/Oreo by contacting me:
RAFIQ, at 016-237 6129 or my friend,
DEBY, at 012-235 2125.

"I thank you with my all my heart for any information on them for their safe return.

"Thank you."

Rafiq - 15 July 2007

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

THE BIGGER PICTURE...

IS THE DOG CATCHING COMPETITION STILL ON???
As at 8.00pm today - 26 Sept 2007,
See SideBar for links to articles in the news on this issue
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Adopt a Pet
JESSE, A 6 YEAR OLD YELLOW LABRADOR
MISHKA, YOUNG MALE CAT
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As usual, there are many Malaysians who still have the "tidak apa" attitude and the "if it doesn't hurt me, why should I care?" mentality. While I laud all those who have come forward to speak for the animals in this country, there are many that need serious education about why animal abuse is unacceptable.

A person known as MyDogOnly (note that he/she didn't dare leave an email or web address) left a very interesting comment in my chatbox, and I quote:

You know, i dont understand why you rant so much about almost everything to do with dogs. I love dogs - my dogs. I cant care about strays. Who cares how MPS treats strays - shoot the dogs.

I am appalled that this kind of thinking came from a person who owns dogs... Animal creulty must be curbed and eradicated, otherwise we as a nation will be in for much bigger problems as I have mentioned in my previous post on Why the Dog Hunt Has to Stop:

Once we allow ourselves to think that such cruel acts are acceptable for they are just animals, it will be a matter of time before we will allow ourselves to be as barbaric towards our own kind... i.e. towards humans. As it is I believe our nation as a whole is already beginning to rot, for there is no compassion towards those that are weak and defenseless.

I believe that this is already evident in our Malaysian society with the numerous cases of unspeakable crimes against children - the latest being the Nurin case. In my previous post, Horror of Horrors, 5 dogs were cruelly tortured before being beaten to death by a group of contracted dog catchers. Can anyone safely say that these same men will not inflict such abuse towards a child or another human being?

For those who still think that I am "ranting" about dogs and strays, think again... and take a look at some facts that the American Humane Society has gathered which shows clearly that there is a LINK between animal abusers and child abusers.

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Understanding the Link® between violence to people and animals
Extracted from The American Humane Society

What is the Link?
A correlation between animal abuse, family violence, and other forms of community violence has been established. Child and animal protection professionals have recognized this Link, noting that abuse of both children and animals is connected in a self-perpetuating cycle of violence. When animals in a home are abused or neglected, it is a warning sign that others in the household may not be safe. In addition, children who witness animal abuse are at a greater risk of becoming abusers themselves.

How serious is it?
A survey of pet-owning families with substantiated child abuse and neglect found that animals were abused in 88% of homes where child physical abuse was present (DeViney, Dickert, & Lockwood, 1983). A study of women seeking shelter at a safe house showed that 71% of those having pets affirmed that their partner had threatened, hurt, or killed their companion animals, and 32% of mothers reported that their children had hurt or killed their pets (Ascione, 1998). Still another study showed that violent offenders incarcerated in a maximum-security prison were significantly more likely than nonviolent offenders to have committed childhood acts of cruelty toward pets (Merz-Perez, Heide, & Silverman, 2001).

What’s being done?
In many communities, human services, animal services, and law enforcement agencies are sharing resources and expertise to address violence. Professionals are beginning to engage in cross-training and cross-reporting through interagency partnerships, and humane societies are teaming with domestic violence shelters to provide emergency shelter for pets of domestic violence victims.

In addition, some states have strengthened their animal cruelty legislation and taken other measures to address the Link. These state-level actions permit earlier intervention and send a clear message that all forms of violence are taken seriously. For example:

1. There are now felony-level penalties for animal cruelty in nearly all states.
2. Several states require veterinarians to report suspected animal abuse and offer veterinarians who report cruelty immunity from civil and criminal liability.
3. Some states require animal control officers to report suspected child abuse or neglect and receive training in recognizing and reporting child abuse and neglect.
4. A few states permit child and adult protection workers to report suspected animal abuse or receive training on identifying and reporting animal cruelty, abuse, and neglect.
5. Nearly half the states call for psychological counseling for individuals convicted of animal cruelty.

Where does American Humane stand?
American Humane has been working to protect children and animals since 1877. For more than a decade, American Humane has been educating both the general public and professionals about the Link between violence to people and animals by:

1.Facilitating workshops to educate the public and build collaboration among human service, animal protection, public safety, and law enforcement professionals;
2. Administering the National Resource Center on the Link®, providing professional training at national conferences, and publishing resources and training guides;
3.Helping pass animal cruelty legislation, drafting crossreporting legislation, and testifying at both state and national levels; and
4. Contributing to the understanding of the Link through research on animal cruelty, its treatment in the criminal justice system, and detection by veterinarians.

American Humane asserts that the Link must be addressed and the following provisions must be implemented:


1. Cross-training and cross-reporting among law enforcement officers, humane investigators, veterinarians, health professionals, domestic violence advocates, and child protection workers;
2. Training and continuing education about the Link for judges and prosecutors;
3. Model legislation for cross-reporting and cross-reporting standards;
4. Systematic tracking of national animal abuse data;
5. Expanded research about the Link, including evaluation of prevention and intervention approaches;
6. Inclusion of animal-focused violence in standard assessments and intake forms for child protective services, mental health, and domestic violence workers; and
7. Community partnerships to respond to family violence and educate the public about taking all acts of violence seriously.

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Facts About Animal Abuse & Domestic Violencein association with the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence

WHY IT MATTERS

1. 71% of pet-owning women entering women’s shelters reported that their batterer had injured, maimed, killed or threatened family pets for revenge or to psychologically control victims; 32% reported their children had hurt or killed animals. [1]

2. 68% of battered women reported violence towards their animals. 87% of these incidents occurred in the presence of the women, and 75% in the presence of the children, to psychologically control and coerce them. [2]

3. 13% of intentional animal abuse cases involve domestic violence. [3]

4. Between 25% and 40% of battered women are unable to escape abusive situations because they worry about what will happen to their pets or livestock should they leave. [4,5,6]

5. Pets may suffer unexplained injuries, health problems, permanent disabilities at the hands of abusers, or disappear from home. [7]

6. Abusers kill, harm, or threaten children’s pets to coerce them into sexual abuse or to force them to remain silent about abuse. Disturbed children kill or harm animals to emulate their parents’ conduct, to prevent the abuser from killing the pet, or to take out their aggressions on another victim. [8,9]

7. In one study, 70% of animal abusers also had records for other crimes. Domestic violence victims whose animals were abused saw the animal cruelty as one more violent episode in a long history of indiscriminate violence aimed at them and their vulnerability. [10]

8. Investigation of animal abuse is often the first point of social services intervention for a family in trouble. [4]

9. For many battered women, pets are sources of comfort providing strong emotional support: 98% of Americans consider pets to be companions or members of the family. [11]

10. Animal cruelty problems are people problems. When animals are abused, people are at risk. [12]

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For more resources on the link between animal abusers and serial killers/rapists/family violence etc.

The Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)

The Animal Liberation Front (ALF)

Predators

Society & Animals Forum

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

MPS POUND IN ACCEPTABLE CONDITION??? !!!

I am once again shocked with a report in the newspapers regarding animal welfare. The Malay Mail highlighted today, that the condition of the MPS pound was acceptable - see article attached below. I would like to know what exactly constitutes as acceptable???

Based on the pictures that were taken by the SPCA when they visited the pound on Friday, 21st Sept 2007, I hardly think that the conditions of the pound are acceptable for any dog. See my previous post for pictures of the appaling conditions of the MPS Pound.

Once again I am left speechless... If this nation deems that such horrific conditions are acceptable for our dogs, then I cannot imagine what would be construed as unacceptable.

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SPCA to work closely with council By DAWN CHAN
extracted from The Malay Mail, 26 Sept 2007

THE dog pound has been found to be in acceptable condition but there is still room for improvement.That is the verdict by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals chairman Christine Chin on Selayang Municipal Council’s dog pound in Bandar Baru Selayang.

Chin, accompanied by SPCA coordinator Dr Natasha Lee, visited the pound last week under the SPCA’s MissionHELP: Selayang campaign.The campaign was launched after SPCA and MPS agreed to work together to eradicate the stray-dog menace, following the scrapping of the council’s dog-catching competition two weeks ago.

Chin suggested that MPS add more kennels to accommodate the number of dogs that were captured, and to isolate sick dogs as well as separating puppies from adult dogs.In addition, she recommended that MPS immediately euthanise dogs that are very sick.“Suitable dogs will be chosen and rehabilitated at the SPCA animal sheter, then suitable homes found in the first phase of our campaign.

However, we also hope dogs can be re-homed through the pound itself,” said Chin.

Chin said SPCA was happy to hear of MPS’s interest in setting up a low-cost spay and neuter clinic, or Klinik Kembiri.“As the setting up of a Klinik Kembiri requires the approval of the Veterinary Services Department, we will bring up the idea when we meet the department director-general, Datuk Dr Abdul Aziz Jamaluddin, tomorrow,” said Chin.

Vowing to work closely with MPS, Chin said that SPCA volunteers, staff and independent pet rescuers are looking forward to organising workshops to promote proper dog-catching techniques, education campaign on responsible pet ownership as well as organising spay days when pet owners can sterilise their pets at a subsidised rate.

The MPS dog-catching competition, which was launched on Sept 4 by Rawang State Assemblyman Datuk Tang See Hang to curb the stray-dog menace, was scrapped 10 days later, following strong objections from animal rights activists and animal lovers.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

HORROR OF HORRORS...

As at 4.30pm today - 24 Sept 2007,
Details of the Competition are still available here
Click here for Video Footage of MPS Man Assaulting Animal Lover
See SideBar for links to articles in the news on this issue
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Adopt a Pet
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Just as we thought we could breathe a small sigh of relief with MPS announcing that it had called off the Dog Catching Competition, another local council is now under fire for intolerable cruelty towards the strays that are caught by it's contractors. This time it is the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ).

Last week, a witness reported that 5 dogs were brutally tortured before being beaten to death by dog catchers that were contracted by the MPAJ. The dogs were tortured in the Indian Cemetery in Ampang Jaya. But by the time the SPCA was contacted and the relevant authorities arrived, it was too late, and all that was left were blood stains.

I am at a loss for words for now... I would just like to urge everyone to be on the lookout for suspicious looking vehicles (usually white vans) with dogs in tow in the Ampang Jaya area. If you see these vehicles, please call the SPCA immediately at 03-4256 5312 or at 03-42535179. Do not approach these people on your own as they are deemed to be highly dangerous people. People who are capable of such cruelty towards helpless and defenceless animals would have no qualms of inflicting the same on humans!

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SPCA says dogs beaten to death, but council denies it
extracted from The Star

AN ORGANISATION has claimed that stray dogs caught on the streets were being beaten to death and their meat sold to exotic food restaurants, China Press reported.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Selangor said Ampang Jaya Municipal Council contractors were found using wooden sticks to beat five stray dogs to death at a cemetery in Ulu Klang recently.

A staff from the organisation said the captured dogs might not have been put down by injection because that would render them unsuitable for human consumption.

The staff said that by beating the dogs to death the animals could then be sold as meat later. However, the council denied any such practice.

Its deputy president Abdul Hamid Hussain said stray dogs caught by contractors would be handed over to the council and put down by injection in the presence of council health officers. He added that council officers would take photos of the stray dogs prior to putting them down. Abdul Hamid said the council had not received any complaint on the matter and urged the organisation to show proof to enable the council to investigate.

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On another note, the SPCA carried out a visit to the MPS dog pound on Friday, 21st September 2007. They found that the condition of the pound was unacceptable. The pound was overcrowded and the level of care given to the dogs were appalling.

This picture shows the Council's vet euthanising one of the dogs that were caught. We feel that this is an inhumane way of carrying out the procedure.

The following pictures reflect the appaling conditions of the pound.




Nursing mothers and puppies are not separated from the rest of the dogs...

We see a worker hosing down the dogs. Is this what the Council meant by washing the dogs twice a day with anti-germ shampoo as reported in the Malay Mail earlier?

Food is strewn all over the ground and in NOT FIT for consumption!!! Obviously the council feels that this constitutes as feeding the dogs three times a day...

The cramped conditions at the pound which is unhygienic and will lead to disease and eventually death.

I would like to urge all of you to help put a stop to this horrible treatment of our strays by the local council. You can make a difference! Write in to the press, take in a stray, adopt a pet instead of buying one, volunteer at your local animal shelters or independent pet rescue organisations. For a list of addresses to which you can write, click here

The SPCA is also appealing to interested members of the public who are willing to assist in MissionHELP: Selayang to contact SPCA to indicate their area of interest. Please send an e-mail to missionhelp@gmail.com or call the SPCA office at 03-42565312 or 42535179

SPCA's MissionHELP:Selayang outreach campaign. Working closely with MPS, the team of staff, individual animal rescuers and volunteers will organise workshops to train dog-catchers on humane methods of catching dogs, embark on educational campaigns on Responsible Pet Ownership and spaying/ neutering, organise "Spay Days" when residents can have their pets sterilised to prevent them from breeding incessantly. MPS have also expressed interest in setting up a dedicated, low-cost spay-neuter clinic (Klinik Kembiri) in their vicinity.

Saturday, September 22, 2007

CLEO THE DESTROYER

Click here for Video Footage of MPS Man Assaulting Animal Lover
See SideBar for links to articles in the news on this issue
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Adopt a Pet
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Now that I have finally setup a YouTube Account, I decided I should post some funny videos of Cleo. I figured we all needed a bit of a break from all the high drama and controversy of the MPS Dog Catching Competition.







Anyway the videos are somewhat pathetic as they were taken with my rather dated digital camera, which only allows for very short clips with no sound... am considering getting myself a better one, but Douglas and I have just splurged on a brand new Mac, and so my camera has to take a back seat... can hardly wait for the Mac to arrive... Am so excited. Don't ask me why we need 3 computers in the house... we're just a little nuts when it comes to computers...

MRDO 2007

MALAYSIA Responsible Dog Ownership Day
7 October 2007
Central Park, Bandar Utama
for more details, please visit Puppy.Com
CALM will be having talks on Responsible Dog Ownership at the event. Make sure you stop by our booth... Watch this space for more information...
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IS THE DOG CATCHING COMPETITION STILL ON???
As at 10.30am today - 21 Sept 2007,
See SideBar for links to articles in the news on this issue
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Adopt a PetJESSE, A 6 YEAR OLD YELLOW LABRADORMISHKA, YOUNG MALE CAT
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WHEEL POWER: By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

Click here for Video Footage of MPS Man Assaulting Animal Lover
See SideBar for links to articles in the news on this issue
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Laudable move
Wheel Power: By ANTHONY THANASAYAN
Extracted from The Star

Animal lovers everywhere were relieved when the Selayang Municipal Council called off its dog catching competition due to pressure from the public.

WHAT a sweet victory it was last Friday for animal-loving Malaysians everywhere. The Selayang Municipal Council (MPS), which had been headstrong for the past couple of weeks about its controversial

Members of the public were particularly unhappy that attractive cash prizes were being offered, instead of inculcating positive values about responsible animal ownership and love for animals.
The decision was reached at a meeting held at the MPS headquarters in Bandar Baru Selayang, Selangor. The meeting was attended by representatives of five animal welfare and rights groups. The NGOs were joined by the various representatives of local residents in Selayang, as well as MPS council officials.

The animal rights groups present were the Selangor Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Animal Rights and Welfare Society (Roar), the Malaysian Association for Responsible Pet Ownership (Marpo), and the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association (Petpositive).

Also present was another ad hoc group called the Coalition of Animal Lovers of Malaysia (Calm). Formed immediately after the MPS dog-catching contest, Calm was there to oppose the competition.

As president of Petpositive, I was the only representative in wheelchair among 40 others invited to the meeting.

The moment I arrived at the venue, I was confronted with a set of obstacles, which I had to overcome, before getting into the meeting room. Although there were at least two parking lots for disabled drivers, there was no one whom I could ask for assistance. Some of the officers who passed by did not even bother to ask if I needed help.

There was no way they would not have known I was a disabled person, unless they were blind themselves. Not only is my car plastered with disabled stickers all over, but I was parked in the MPS disabled lot. Luckily for me, I didn’t have to wait long. I was soon joined by my animal rights activist chums who got my wheelchair out of the car and helped me into it in no time.
The meeting was held on the first floor, and I had to be carried up two flights of steps that were steep and dangerous to attend it.

What I couldn’t understand was why the meeting was not held in the wheelchair-friendly newer building which was only a stone’s throw away. After all, it was plain as day that Petpositive had the words “disabled” and “elderly” in it. Or is it because people today still view the world in terms of stereotypes? And that disabled people are only seen in handicapped homes, hospitals or hospices, instead of in offices, shopping centres and the meeting rooms of local council buildings?

Just when I thought I would be locked out of the meeting room, a couple of my animal rights friends did a wonderful thing. N. Surendran, from Roar, and Natasha Fernz, from Calm, went upstairs to the meeting room and argued my case until, lo and behold, the venue was moved to the wheelchair-accessible building next door so that I could attend!

Later, I heard that one or two of the invited guests were peeved with me for making them switch venues. They even remarked that I was being too demanding and that I was expecting the world to treat me “special” because of my handicap. However, the morning ended on an extraordinary note. I left the premises with the good news that stray dogs in Selayang would be treated with respect from now on.

I have learnt a lesson from my animal activist friends, too. Sometimes in life, you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. It’s called: Standing up for yourself.

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Thanks Anthony for a great article... in light of all that has happened, we would have still fought for you in a heartbeat... This incident really shows the mentality of the people who thought of the dog catching competition in the first place. While I do believe that the stray population has to be curbed, I really hope everyone understands Why the Dog Catching Competition had to stop, and that there are more humane methods of curbing the stray population.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

HEAD VILLAGER RASHEED HITS ANIMAL LOVER'S CAMERA

See SideBar for links to articles in the news on this issue
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Adopt a Pet

JESSE, A 6 YEAR OLD YELLOW LABRADOR

MISHKA, YOUNG MALE CAT
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Dear all,

Finally we have converted the video tape to digital format. We apologise for the "captions" on the top of the video... but we are not quite professionals in this area... so we hope you'll bear with the somewhat poor quality. Will try to upload a better version soon...

Will also translate the conversation (as some of it was in Malay) for the benefit of everyone soon)





As there has been so much publicity on this "assault" we felt that it was imperative that we post this video. All of you can now see for yourselves what happened. Ann Nee did not approach Rasheed. He came towards her!!!

Also, I think alot of people do not understand the Legal Definition for the word "Assault". People seem to think that assault only means a violent attack with physical injury as a result. Assault includes both verbal threats and physical threats. So let me give you the legal definition for Common Assault (thanks for the tip Bernie Wernie):

S39 Criminal Justice Act 1988 (UK) provides that an assault is: “any act by which a person intentionally or recklessly causes another to apprehend immediate unlawful violence.”

Webster's New World College Dictionary, provides that an assault is: "an unlawful threat or unsuccessful attempt to do physical harm to another, causing a present fear of immediate harm".

So in this context, even words alone can cause an assault, if that person can apprehend immediate harm! Note that the person need not be “afraid” or to have “actual” fear as long as there is an immediate threat of unlawful violence.

Assault can be defined to include not only violence, but any physical contact with another person without their consent. In this case it is pretty obvious that Ann Nee, Suren and Anthony were assaulted by this Rasheed character.


We also find it incredibly interesting that the YDP of MPS, Zainal Abidin Azim denied even knowing Rasheed Sultan Afshur when contacted by the Malay Mail. This was reported in the Malay Mail on Monday.

Subsequently, a second report on Tuesday in the Malay Mail (which is unfortunately unavailable online at the moment), the MPS admitted that Rasheed was a headman of a nearby village, and had attended the meeting because he was INVITED by the MPS. Then on Wednesday, The Star also confirmed tthat Rasheed was the head villager of Kg Laksamana. Hmmm how interesting...

See related articles for further details and pictures. We leave you to decide whom to believe on what really happened:

Submission of Memorandum & Petition Signatures

Protest at MPS over Dog Hunt reports by independent reporters (here you will note that both Malaysia Kini and The Star highlighted that there was a heckler trying to instigate a fight - he was unidentified at the time, but we subsequently discovered he was a Head Villager)

The Inside Story

Sensationalised news on Assault by MPS Man

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

VIDEO FOOTAGE ON WHAT HAPPENED AT MPS

Okay... I am getting bloody pissed off with all the lies that everyone is spouting on that really happened on Friday. See The Inside Story for my version of it. Also Malaysia Kini has put up a very short clip on what happened. Unfortunately you need to be subscribed to view this.

http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/72424

We will be posting the video on YouTube as soon as possible. Just trying to figure out how to convert the damned video from tape to digital format. So watch this space.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

YOUNG CAT FOR ADOPTION

IS THE DOG CATCHING COMPETITION STILL ON???
As at 10.30am today - 19 Sept 2007,
See SideBar for links to articles in the news on this issue
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is still looking for a home.
Click here for details on Jesse
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MISHKA THE CAT IS AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION

This cutie is Mishka, and I think he's about 4 or 5 months old, but I can't be sure. Will get confirmation from vet this weekend. He will be dewormed and vaccinated to start with, and subsequently neutered. He's very affectionate and loves cuddles. He currently lives in a pot in my garden cause Lucky and Cleo will turn him into minced meat if I let him indoors.

If any of you are interested in adopting this cutie, please drop me an email at natasha@axtrasynergy.com or sms me at 016 3228816. No spam or crank calls please.

Monday, September 17, 2007

SENSATIONALISED NEWS ON "ASSAULT"

IS THE DOG CATCHING COMPETITION STILL ON???
As at 4.00pm today - 18 Sept 2007,
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To all readers of this blog...

I am sure that most of you, Malaysians that is, would have read the sensational news that was on the front page of The Malay Mail today. It read MPS Man ASSAULTED Me.


I was very surprised that The Malay Mail was quite so bold in this article, and I laud them for it. All other mainstream papers have played down the hostility and animosity shown by the Council towards the NGOs and animal lovers that were present at the meeting last Friday.

So far Malay Mail has been the only mainstream paper that has had the audacity to report the other side of the story, albeit in a sensationalised fashion. Well done Malay Mail!!!

The Council's complete disregard for the rights of the disabled (as seen by originally scheduling the meeting in a building with no access for the disabled), and indifference shown by Council members towards the safety and security of the disabled when the scuffle between the NGOs and an unidentified MPS person ensued, reflects the shallow minds that cooked up this horrific dog catching competition in the first place. This has been well depicted by the Malay Mail in their article.

See The Inside Story for my account of what happened - which I believe is an unbiased view, and I tried very hard to write it as objectively as possible.

To those of you who have not read my post, The Inside Story, you would probably be really shocked at what was reported by the Malay Mail. Folks, let me tell you that what really transpired at MPS on Friday as reported by the Malay Mail was almost entirely true, and not as far fetched as it seems, although slightly dramatised and sensationalised.

The two significant differences would be that firstly, the man that was accussed of attacking Ms Lim Ann Nee did NOT hit her on the head. He hit her video camera and her arm, but then again one could construe that if he did try to hit her video camera which was held up pretty close to her head, that he did try to hit her head. But I leave that to the reader's discretion. Also note that Ms Lim clearly stated that

“He wanted to hit my head but failed because I was leaning and moving back to protect myself".

The other difference would be that while the Assailant did not verbally threaten Mr Anthony, we do not know the true intentions of the Assailant, identified as Heckler # 1 in The Inside Story. We believe that he was trying to attack Suren, the President of ROAR, and because Mr Anthony Thansayan the President of PETPOSITIVE was caught in the cross fire, it was an incredibly threatening situation for Mr Anthony as it made him extremely vulnerable to serious injury.

I think I have to point out once again, for the benefit of everyone, that the person accused of assault, was the very same person that was heckling at us when we were at MPS on Tuesday, 11 th Sept 2007, to handover the petition signatures we had collected. This person was unidentified at the time and vehemently denied that he was from MPS. At the time we were surprised that the security did nothing to stop his actions.

However, when we saw him at the meeting on Friday, we realised immediately that he was an MPS person of sorts; and we realised why the security personnel did nothing to stop his unruly behaviour on Tuesday. We now know that he is , Rasheed Sultan Afshur the Ketua Kampung of Kg Laksamana in Selayang.

Extracted from The Sun:
As he stood up Kg Laksamana village head Rasheed Sultan Afshur, who was representing his area, shouted: "Jangan kurang ajar tahu (Don’t be rude, understand)." Rasheed then stood up and rushed towards Surendran.

While some parties have denied that he was from MPS, I am inclined to then ask why was he at the meeting? And if he wasn't an "MPS person", why did the Council including the Chairman not stop him from behaving they way he did? Also bear in mind, that the term "MPS person" need not necessarily imply that one has to sit on the Council as a Director or even a Committee Member. All of this has been made more interesting as the YDP of MPS has apparently denied even knowing who Rasheed was.

Extracted from The Malay Mail:
Zainal also denied knowing the alleged assailant and why he was at the meeting.


I could go on and on about this issue, but I think I shall stop here. I believe that this man, Rasheed, is the epitome of moral decay, and that his fellow comrades in the Council are no better, and I quote

"All it takes for evil to triumph is for the good people to do nothing" - Edmund Burke

A DOGGONE CRAZY IDEA

IS THE DOG CATCHING COMPETITION STILL ON???

As at 6.45pm this evening, the MPS website still features the Dog Catching Competition

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Hi all...

Here's an excellent story from The Star

A doggone crazy idea
ON THE BEAT WITH WONG CHUN WAI

The Selayang Municipal Council’s inane dog-catching competition deserves the bashing it received. That is not the way to minimise stray dogs in the district.

IT was a dumb idea from the beginning. The Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) rightly deserves the bashing from many Malaysians for its inane dog-catching competition.

The council may have good intentions by holding a contest with prize money to reduce the number of unlicensed mongrels in the district but the whole exercise was certainly ill conceived. To put it bluntly, it was insensitive and cruel.

The media first started reporting the competition as a Klang Valley metro news item but it soon generated into a national controversy as the angry public made protest calls to newspaper offices.

The MPS had offered residents at least RM11,000 in cash prizes if they could catch up to over 150 stray dogs within six months to solve the stray dog problem in the area.

Its president Zainal Abidin Azim said the competition was introduced as it had received about 80 complaints about stray dogs every month, adding that despite catching 200 stray dogs every month as part of its animal control management, the problem had remained unsolved.

Under the competition, residents were required to deliver the dogs alive with photographs of the captured animals as proof while the council would provide tools for these bounty hunters.
The first prize winner would walk home with RM15,000, the runner-up RM13,000 while the third-placed winner RM11,000. The MPS also offered RM20 for each stray dog caught as an incentive to the dog-catchers.

Mongrels may not be the top choice of many serious dog owners but animal lovers cannot accept untrained residents going around the neighbourhood nabbing these canines.

Dangerous mission
These hunters are not just hurting the animals but may even endanger themselves because these stray dogs could become vicious and attack them in defence.

Last week, common sense finally prevailed when the MPS called off the competition following a meeting between state executive councillor Datuk Tang See Hang, Zainal and animal rights groups and pet owners.

Tang, who had earlier launched the ludicrous competition, said the decision had to do with safety concerns expressed by various groups that untrained hunters could hurt themselves.

The MPS has now agreed to work closely with the SPCA and other animal rights groups to ensure that dogs are handled and caught by trained personnel. The council will also be strict on irresponsible pet owners who abandon their pets.

Without doubt, there must be an effective programme involving the MPS and the SPCA to reduce the number of stray dogs in the district because no one wants to come into contact with wild or sick dogs.

But such competitions, as dog handler and professional groomer Noraini Rozaiti Mahmud said, would inherently attract over-zealous residents and this “could result in someone getting injured and the dogs being blamed and crucified for attacking a person”.

Many dog owners are also worried that this competition would reinforce the perception, if not prejudices, among some people that dogs are bad, dirty and deserve to be killed.

Dogs are regarded as pets, if not family members, by most of us. But their role as animal companions to the elderly, sick and particularly the blind has not been given due recognition. For many of the elderly who stay alone, these furry animals have become their only source of joy and loyal companion.

Some of us take for granted these intelligent animals and only realise their crucial role as rescuers during earthquakes, even in countries that forbid ownership of these animals for religious reasons. It is during such emergencies that these four-legged rescuers have to be flown in to save human lives.

A big help
Dogs have now been used by enforcement agencies to sniff out pirated DVD manufacturers, something unheard of previously. Anti-drug agencies have long relied on dogs to nab traffickers at airports.

Children who are given dogs as pets learn the meaning of responsibility and affection early in life. And when their pet dies, they experience grief. These are lessons in life that the young learn.

What the MPS and the SPCA can do is to work together to tackle the problem, including paying professionals to nab these dogs.

The residents in Selayang should be encouraged to neuter their dogs to stop the growing number of these animals.

It is not just dogs that the council should worry about – stray cats and crows that rummage rubbish bins are unsightly, and some kind of control is necessary to keep the district clean.
Irrespective of our religion, it is important we show that animals are God’s creatures and should be properly treated.

What kind of message are we sending when we adopt inhumane and barbaric measures to clamp down on creatures we deem unwanted and wild?

As Mahatma Gandhi said, “The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way animals are treated.”

Saturday, September 15, 2007

IS THE COMPETITION STILL ON???


Click here for the Inside Story

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The local press have already reported that the Dog Catching Competition has been scrapped by the MPS, following a meeting with the SPCA, ROAR, MARPO, PETPOSITIVE and CALM - the unofficial Coalition of Animal Lovers. All parties with the exception of the SPCA walked out of the meeting as MPS officials behaved with great animosity towards all of us.

However, in spite of promising the SPCA that the competition would be halted immediately, we have noted that as at 7pm today, 15th September 2007, MPS's website still indicates that the Dog Catching Competition is on and will be on-going. In fact the Dog Catching Competition is highlighted in two places on the website as can be seen below.

The meeting was scrapped by noon yesterday, 14th September 2007. So there was more than enough time for them to update their website, particularly as it it supposed to be the source of information for the residents of Selayang.

This is why, ROAR, PETPOSITIVE, MARPO and CALM walked out of the meeting yesterday. We had wanted for the competition to be stopped with immediate effect and for all information regarding the competition to be retracted before progressing with the meeting. When a vet from the floor asked the Chairman if the competition would be suspended with immediate effect, even if temporarily, before the meeting progressed, the Chairman Datuk Tang See Hang had given a very firm no. With this refusal from the council and the with the hostile manner in which we were treated by all council members, we left the meeting.

I personally would like to question the integrity of the Chairman Datuk Tang See Hang and the YDP of the MPS. If they were sincere in scrapping the dog catching competition they should have taken pro-active measures to remove all posters and advertisements from the Selayang area (if any) and from their website. From their lackadaisical attitude towards this issue, one can only surmise that the Council and its members are not at all concerned about this issue.

I would like to call upon the members of the public to please let me know if there are any other forms of advertisement on this issue, e.g. posters, or memos to resident committees that have not been removed. Because this means that the poor dogs are still in danger!

Friday, September 14, 2007

THE INSIDE STORY

WHAT REALLY HAPPENED AT MPS
FRIDAY, 15TH SEPT 2007, 9.00 am
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As most of you would be aware by now, the Majlis Perbandaran Selangor has scrapped the Dog Catching Competition. All dog lovers and animal rights defenders can now breathe a huge sigh of relief.

The Coalition of Animal Lovers Malaysia (CALM - literally formed by regular people in response to this nonsense) would like to thank each and everyone of you for your support over the past 10 days or so. The Selayang Council has scrapped the dog catching competition today, after coming under heavy fire from animal rights groups such as the SPCA, ROAR, PETPOSTITIVE, MARPO and CALM.

However, we could not have done it without the contribution from each and everyone of you. We would like to thank all animal lovers who took the time to sign the Online Petitions, attended the Peaceful Protest, attended the handover of Memorandum & Petition Signatures, and took the time to be present at today's unruly meeting with the MPS. We also thank everyone who has taken the time to blog about it and to link to Mad About Labradors to keep your readers abreast with the latest news.

We would like to thank everyone who wrote in to the press. All the letters that you have written to the press, published or unpublished, caused this issue to be given unprecedented attention in our local media. This competition could not have been stopped without all your efforts and also prayers. Thank you all for having a heart...

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Now onto the juicy details...

SPCA, PETPOSITVE, ROAR and MARPO were officially invited by the MPS for a dialogue this morning at the MPS. CALM (the Coalition of Animal Lovers Malaysia) were also present to lend their support. However, we were all shocked when we arrived to find that the Council scheduled the meeting in the OLD Building, which was not friendly to disabled persons. This is especially shocking because the Council knew that Mr Anthony Thanasayan, President of PETPOSITIVE - a key person for this meeting, was wheel chair bound.

There were no ramps and no lifts, and the meeting room was on the 2nd Floor. We could not understand why the meeting was scheduled in the OLD Building when the NEW building, just a stone's throw away was designed with ramps and lifts to allow disabled persons easy access to the buildings.

Even after drawing their attention to this obvious problem, they refused to change the venue, and instead offered to carry Mr Anthony up two very steep flight of stairs. They had no consideration for the safety of Mr Anthony, although we explained that his wheel chair was a fully collapsible wheel chair which made it even more dangerous to carry him.

They claimed that this venue was the only meeting room large enough to accommodate everyone. We had no choice but to proceed upstairs and leave Mr Anthony behind, although he was one of the key persons invited for the discussion by MPS.
When the Chairman, Datuk Tang See Hang arrived, Suren of ROAR tried to bring this issue to the Chair, but several members of the council started to shout him down, stating that everyone was already at the venue and there was no need to move for one individual.

It was interesting to note that the unidentified heckler present on Tuesday was also present at today's meeting. He was allowed a free reign at the meeting. He heckled and shouted at us whenever we attempted to speak in order to get Mr Anthony back into the picture. We later discovered that he was "part of the MPS Committee" as he was a Head Villager of a Village in the district.

Datuk Tang See Hang, eventually agreed to move the meeting to the new building, but not before stating that the meeting room there was too small and we would all have to squeeze in. While moving from the old building to the new building, a number of MPS officials made snide remarks against Mr Anthony's condition. We were appalled at the lack of sensitivity that these Government Officials showed towards another individual, albeit disabled, who had as much right to attend this discussion as they did.

The NEW venue, in our opinion was more than large enough to accommodate everyone quite comfortably. So it makes us wonder what was the agenda of the Council for arranging the meeting at the OLD Building, with full knowledge that the President of PETPOSITIVE was a disabled person, as was a couple of other animal lovers that were present.

The Chairman commenced the meeting in English and was elaborating on unecessary issues.


When the meeting commenced, Suren tried several times to establish that the Dog Catching Competition must scrapped with immediate effect, before the NGOs proposed any alternative solution. We were shouted down by a number of people, in particular Heckler # 1 and Heckler # 2

After the meeting had commenced in English, another unidentified MPS member, suddenly shouted at us, querying why we weren't speaking in Malay. We were taken aback as the Chairman himself had been speaking English the entire time. We then continued in Malay, but were disrupted many times by council members stating that we were rude and not following the protocol that all meetings must be conducted in Malay.

The Chairperman, Datuk Tang See Hang,did not at any time warn the Council members to behave in an orderly fashion. The Chairman also conveniently switched to speaking Malay.

The Council refused to commit that the Dog Catching Competition would be scrapped with immediate effect, and instead insisted that their plan is well thought out by the Committe, and that they have been considering all issues relating the matter since June this year.

The NGOs present were treated with much hostility by almost all council members, with the exception of a few. Council members kept shouting at us whenever they pleased. It was at this point that we realised that we were going nowhere. All 5 parties, the SPCA, PETPOSITIVE, ROAR, MARPO & CALM had previously agreed to leave the meeting if it turned hostile and if the Council did not agree to our condition that the Dog Catching Competition be stopped with immediate effect prior to further discussion on this issue.

All NGOs including CALM left the meeting with the exception of the SPCA (much to our disappointment). Our actions shocked the Council Members significantly, and more shouts ensued from the Council Member. We were told to "Jangan Kurang Ajar!!!", "Duduk!!! Duduk!!!" etc. The main hecklers were, as identified in earlier pictures - Heckler #1 and #2.

Heckler # 1 then rushed from his seat and lunged at Suren, with no regard for Mr Anthony whom Suren was trying to wheel out. The Chairman did not bring the meeting to order, nor did he reprimand Heckler #1. Members of the press were there, and were having a field day taking photos of Heckler #1 attacking Suren. I believe they were shocked that we were really leaving the meeting. This put significant pressure on them.

The Council completely disregarded the safety of Mr Anthony during this entire fiasco. This in my opinion reflected very badly on the Council. I seriously question their morality and humanity. But I suppose only people with such low levels of morality and humanity can come up with this Barbaric Dog Cathing Competition in the first place. Security was not even called to apprehend Heckler #1 who could have seriously hurt Mr Anthony, who suffers from brittle bones as a result of being confined to a wheel chair.

This gentlemen in the picture below was the only person from the Council that came to our aid. He restrained Heckler #1 and tried to usher Suren and Mr Anthony out of the meeting room.

Heckler #1 followed us out of the meeting room and tried to pick a fight with Dr Jon of MARPO. Once again there were no security personnel ordered to restrain Heckler #1.

Subsequently Heckler #1 chased after Suren and Mr Anthony who were already headed to the lifts. Dr Jon of MARPO tried his best to restrain him. Luckily Suren, Mr Anthony and the rest of us managed to get into the lifts unharmed.

We then waited at the lobby calmly and quietly for the meeting to be over, as SPCA had decided at the last minute not to leave with the rest of the NGOs as planned, if the meeting went awry.

We learnt later, after waiting for almost 2 hours, that the MPS had scrapped the Dog Catching Competition. We were all greatly relieved and rejoiced quietly at this news. Perhaps all the pressure that we had been exerting throughout the past week had paid off somewhat? This issue had after all received unprecedented publicity from the media in the country. Animal rights issues have never been given any priority before. Perhaps the MPS were also pressured to concede after the unruly actions of their council members towards the NGOs which were captured on camera? But at the end of the day, I believe we are all just incredibly happy that the competition had been scrapped.

Members of the media then came to speak to Suren after the meeting was over.

However, a large number of security personnel were mobilised to intimidate us. The security personnel kept telling us to get out of the premises although we were in no way being a nuisance. We were merely speaking to the press. Not all security personnel could be captured on our camera though. We were reminded of the barricade of security personnel that was formed outside the lobby on Tuesday when we came to surrender our 2160 petition signatures.


We were cornered!!!

Subsequently Heckler # 1 re-appears, just as we finished talking to the media. Note, how the Security does not try to restrain Heckler #1 in anyway.

Heckler #1, known only as Rashid a Head Villager, marches up to animal lover Lim Ann Nee and hits her with his booklet.

It was interesting to note that the security personnel did nothing to stop the assault by Heckler #1. Instead we were told to take our war outside??? We were not interested in fighting with the council. If anything it would seem as if the Council was intent on provoking us???

Heckler #1 is a disgrace to the Malaysian community. He acted as a barbarian would, and is a typical example of what the nation could have come to had we allowed this dog catching competition to go on. See my previous article on Why this Dog Hunt Has to Stop. Interestingly, this very same article was also published by the Malay Mail today. The timing could not have been better.

"Once we allow ourselves to think that such cruel acts {dog catching competition} are acceptable for they are just animals, it will be a matter of time before we will allow ourselves to be as barbaric towards our own kind... i.e. towards humans." - Natasha Fernz

I hope that the Council reads this article, and realise how their human core has already begun decaying as aptly shown by Heckler #1, who had no qualms attacking those that were physically weaker than him, i.e. a disabled person and a woman. Members of the Council who did nothing to prevent this assault should be deeply ashamed of themselves for not defending the weak.


We finally left the premises, and headed straight to the Sentul Police Station, where both Suren and Mr Anthony lodged police reports against the Council and Heckler #1 for assaulting them. Also present were Human Rights Lawyer,P Uthayakumar who would be representing Suren and Mr Anthony.

Nuffnang