Protest held over MPS' dog-hunt
Andrew Ong
Sep 11, 07 2:32pm Adjust font size:
Some 50 animal lovers staged a peaceful protest outside the Selayang Municipal Council headquarters today against an ongoing stray dog catching competition.
The protest followed widespread criticism against MPS which is offering up to RM11,000 as a grand prize every six months to resident committees which nab the most number of stray dogs.
Led by four NGOs, the protestors chanted “Stop the hunt” and “Stop the cruelty” while holding placards condemning the competition.
Later, they handed over a protest memorandum and some 2,000 signatures condemning the competition to a representative of MPS president Zainal Abidin Azim.
The public relations officer who accepted the memorandum on Zainal’s behalf said the matter would be discussed in the near future but declined to offer further comment.
Speaking to reporters later, Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) chairperson Christine Chin said untrained civilians are unable to deal with strays and the competition instills wrong values in the public.
“Local authorities have the resources to deal with strays. This competition is not the way to do it,” she said, adding that local authorities should instead impose fines on irresponsible pet owners and encourage spaying of pets.
'Pro opposition'
In their memorandum, the groups said that spaying of pets has proven to be an effective method in controlling stray animal population.
The groups also called for stiff penalties against those who dump their pets. They cite Singapore as an example where pet abandonment is an offence punishable by a one-year imprisonment and a S$10,000 fine.
The memorandum was initiated by the SPCA and endorsed by the Malaysian Association for Responsible Pet Ownership (Marpo), Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association (Petpositive) and the Malaysian Animal Rights and Welfare Association (Roar).
The press conference by the four NGOs was later punctuated by heckling from an unidentified individual (left) who was seen mingling with MPS enforcement officers.
The heckler loudly accused the groups present of being “opposition supporters” and that they were inconsiderate to victims of stray dog attacks.
Several protestors responded in anger towards the heckler but were held back by other protestors.
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