by Shenaaz Khan, President of Malaysian Animal Welfare Society
Barely a week after chilling photos of abused dogs in Kota Kinabalu were exposed and nearly a month after 300 cats were left to die at the horrific Petknode hell, another case of appalling animal abuse has come to light.
A video posted on Youtube shows two males inflicting beatings upon a chained dog. Though the dog attempts to fend off the abuse, the abusers are relentless in their walloping of the poor animal. They are seen employing a variety of objects to pummel the dog, which can be heard yelping in pain. The video was purportedly taken on the 26th of September 2011
in Batu Ferringhi.
The individual who uploaded the video informed the SPCA Penang of the exact location of the abusers. He also claimed that the owners routinely hit the dog. The SPCA Penang has since taken custody of the dog but its malicious owners remain free.
The Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) has been characteristically unresponsive to calls and emails regarding the video! And while the dog may have been saved from further abuse, the cruelty culture rapidly spreading through this country is another shocking indictment of Malaysia’s failure in tackling animal cruelty. Animal abuse is a crime under s.44 of the Animal Act 1953 and should be regarded as no less of a crime than assault, rape or murder! Yet the authorities continually ignore reports or impede investigations leaving animal abusers free to engage in further brutalities. Compelling and indisputable evidence of abuse appears to be insufficient in prosecuting these monsters.
All forms of animal abuse should be condemned and prosecuted with earnestness, resulting in punitive action. Animal cruelty, no matter how minor, should never be tolerated, excused or justified.
The fact that the Petknode owners and the Kota Kinabalu dog bashers are still at large is an affront to natural justice! And a shameful reflection of a sickening and systematic apathy towards animal welfare in this country!
CJMY
Jimmy Tan
