DOGS have a different type of physical presence and aggression which cats would lack; hence, the differing opinion on dogs and why they attract more attention in society.
Owners usually prefer purebred dogs, which are considered elite breeds. Most of the time these elite dogs are seen as part of the family and are well taken care of; in fact owners treat these elite dogs better than family members sometimes! Purebreds have a certain value; hence they will not be easily nor wantonly abandoned.
There are two types of pet owners:
1) Owners who love not only their own pet but also love all other dogs and cats and will go around caring for them
ADVERTISEMENT
2) Owners who only want a pet dog for security purpose. They only want the dog to guard their house, to alert them of strangers etc. What do the dogs get in exchange for being a security guard? Just some food (and probably not good nourishing food at that) and water (likely days old water seldom changed!) For this paltry “gift” from humans, the dog is supposed to guard the house and more! These dogs end up easily abandoned when their owner lose interest in them or when they move house or worst if it is female and not spayed, the mama dog and its babies are abandoned without a thought!
Every time there is news that a dog has bitten someone, etc again Society will be divided into two groups; the love dogs group and the hate dogs group.
Those who fall into the love dogs group will get upset when someone complains about a dog. This group is also often complained about, for the work they do i.e. feeding strays. Often pet owners, i.e. dog owners and feeders are lumped into the same group n most humans are against these groups. However, there is a huge difference between these two groups and they cannot be categorised as the same! A dog lover may only love his/her own dogs (usually purebreds) whilst the other group of dog lovers will love all types of dogs, be they purebreds or mongrels!
The other group just detest dogs. Full stop!
Some dog owners have bad habits and these bad habits are the reasons why some humans are unhappy with dogs, who are the innocent victims in all these decisions made by humans!
There are the owners who do not teach their dogs good behaviour and allow them to show hostility towards the garbage collectors, the postman and workers etc. These people come on a regular basis and the dogs bark incessantly at them and oft times the owners do not do anything to discourage the barking and sometimes even finds the situation amusing.
Then there some owners who allow their dogs to roam outside the compound freely, and this can cause irritation to neighbours and the neighbourhood in general. There have been incidents of dogs running outside, snapping at passers by, upsetting rubbish bins, chasing motorbikes etc.
Thirdly and most commonly in Sabah, many owners do not allow their pets to pee and poop in their compound. As such they are allowed out to do their business, whether In the neighbour’s garden, on the pavement, on the road, etc. The neighbour may tolerate this silently but how long can it go on for?
The owner just takes everything for granted without a second thought for anyone’s feelings, as long as the dog does not pee/poop in his compound
ADVERTISEMENT
Yes, dogs behave as they do unless taught otherwise.
However, the majority of these problems are caused by humans, who create a very negative image of dogs due to their humans’ decisions and actions
Feeders work with no reward by feeding the strays. They are actually contributing greatly to society and helping them by feeding the strays.
They do so of their own accord using their own money and most feeders keep their feeding stations clean and tidy. This means less mess in the surroundings because the strays will not have to rummage in bins to find food.
Many feeders try to catch their strays to sterilise thus ensuring no unwanted litters! Once they are sterilised there is no worry of puppies/kittens and once the dog/cat passes, the stray population reduces. By sterilising, these feeders also help to reduce the risk of diseases and even rabies transmission when someone (though rarely) is bitten by a stray.
Feeders also help foster strays too to help them find good homes so they can be adopted and taken off the streets, again reducing the numbers.
Adopting street dogs is a wonderful thing to do as feeders have limited resources. Shelters are often overwhelmingly full and street dogs are just as beautiful as purebreds, maybe even more so, as they are grateful to be in a loving secure home.
So do not say, “If you love strays so much, why don’t you adopt them?” It is a ridiculous question and demonstrates the person’s ignorance and lack of knowledge and common sense. If it were at all possible feeders would bring them all home but we all know that is not so!
From feeding to medical treatment and fostering/adopting, feeders spend a huge amount of time and money on these thankless tasks. Those who feed strays spend between RM800-RM2,000/month if not more as everything is so expensive now. And all this is paid out of their own pockets. Ask yourself, would u fork out this amount monthly for strays?
ADVERTISEMENT
These feeders have helped lessened society’s burden so much. They have contributed positively towards society. However, sadly they still remain the target of society’s anger which should really be directed at the humans who do not sterilise their pets and who abandon them!
One thing for sure, when someone whose abandoned dog has attacked or bitten someone, they will just keep quiet. Only the feeder will defend the dog and try to do something.
However, society, from the government to the general public, will continue to taunt and blame these wonderful feeders when it is the fault of the humans who abandoned their pets in the first place!
Targeting stray dogs and feeders is completely wrong. Look at the big picture. We should instead target the monsters who did not sterilise their pets and abandoned them!
Be responsible and neuter/spay your pet! Do not let your pet outside especially during the restriction period.
- Note from Fair co-founder Shirley Khong: This is an article written about humans and animals which we felt was well-written and appropriate. The original was written in Chinese and quite lengthy but we have shortened and highlighted the main points. We are sure all animal lovers who read the gist of the translation will wholeheartedly agree.