Animal abuse cases up
Published on: Sunday, September 18, 2022
Text Size:
Participating will show our intention to seriously tackle animal cruelty in Malaysia, which is much needed judging by the increase in incidents in the last few years. In September 2018, a man was given a two-year prison sentence for killing a pregnant cat at a laundromat. It was reported that the manager of the laundromat received a call from a customer notifying him that a cat carcass was found in one of the dryers.
CCTV caught footage of two men (pic above). One man was seen removing a cat from beneath a table at the laundromat and placing it in a dryer. In January 2020, the Malaysian Animal Association shared on its Facebook page pictures of a dead kitten and offered a reward of RM5,000 for anyone with information on the culprits.
In March last year, a Malaysian woman revealed on Twitter that her pet cat was found dead with its legs severed. A police report was lodged. In June this year, two animal rights campaigners demanded tougher legislation and more enforcement against animal abuse. In a recent incident, Sungai Petani police detained a man on suspicion of abusing stray cats.
The man was caught on CCTV enticing a cat with food and tossing a stone at its head while it was eating. The video showed him going to a building’s back alley to entice another cat, then kicking it before leaving. Dogs have also been tortured and killed. In 2018, a dog was seen being dragged by a lorry along the Seberang Jaya highway in Penang.
In 2014, police were looking for a man who allegedly killed a dog with an arrow. In August 2019, a dog was found dead with two arrows sticking out of its body, according to pictures that went viral. Malaysian Animal Association president Arie Dwi Andika confirmed the incident, which took place in Kuah, Langkawi.
Last year, CCTV images showing a man shooting a dog with an arrow and killing it in Alor Star, Kedah, went viral. Last month, animal rights activists criticised the Klang Municipal Council for allegedly hurting a puppy during an animal control operation.
Persatuan Haiwan Terbiar Malaysia said it learnt that a complaint had been lodged over a video that allegedly showed the dog being injured after it was captured by the council’s enforcement personnel.
The number of cases of animal cruelty nationwide rose by 30 per cent from 510 in 2017 to 662 in 2018, according to the Veterinary Services Department. Many incidents go unreported. The call for punitive sentences that recognise animal abuse as a national epidemic and discourage others from acting out their rage or deriving sadistic pleasure from injuring helpless animals has never been louder.
We need to address not only the rise in animal maltreatment, but also the problem of animals being slaughtered for food. There are more and more complaints of foreigners allegedly selling dog and cat meat in Selangor and Johor Baru.
The selling and consumption of meat from canines and felines whose disease status is unclear poses a serious health risk. The killing of cats and dogs for food as well as the use of killing techniques that are barbaric and filthy pose a serious and potentially fatal risk to communities and other animals from the lethal rabies virus. There is a need for greater coordination and collaboration between agencies to address animal cruelty.
I believe that to end animal suffering and cruelty, it is time our legal system treated animal cruelty on a par with other serious crimes.
Suzianah Nhazzla Ismail
Selangor
- The views expressed here are the views of the writer Suzianah Nhazzla Ismail and do not necessarily reflect those of the Daily Express.
- If you have something to share, write to us at: [email protected]
ADVERTISEMENT
