Animal Lovers Jubilant Over End Of Dog-Shooting In Ipoh

Pix by Ipoh Echo: Datuk Rahim receiving memo

PETPOSITIVE SAYS: 

THE MOOD IN IPOH in the city of Perak is clearly a jubilant one today, especially among animal-lovers. 


Scores of you jammed our emails, Facebook and Twitter - as well as this Blog - yesterday. 

You wanted to share with us how excited you all were in hearing the news of the immediate banning of dog-shooting by the Ipoh City Council (MBI) on Tuesday. 

Pet powwow with MBI's director

This came about after half a dozen animal rights and welfare groups - as well a disability organisations - met up with a top official of the council yesterday to demand for an end to the cruel and barbaric practice that had plagued the city for many years. 

Petpositive would like to thank the NGOs that participated in our special delegation at the event.

They are (from Ipoh) Noah's Ark, the SPCA and  Animal Welfare Society. From Selangor: the Independent Living and Training Centre and SPCA.

A special thanks must also be given to the three representatives from the department of veterinary services (DVS) from the state who turned up.

They contributed to one of the loudest voices that dog-shooting should immediately stop without any conditions.

Dr Aziz: On a fast-track

Petpositive would like to register our special thanks to DVS head, Datuk Dr Abdul Aziz Jamalludin for dispatching his reps at the eleventh hour - in response to Our Society's request.

The DVS presence was another proof that the animal welfare agency from the government was committed to its priority in championing animal welfare concerns more diligently from now on.

Mayor of Ipoh

In light of the smashing good news, we'd like to urge everyone to write letters of thanks to the MBI's mayor Datuk Haji Roshidi Bin Haji Hashim and council secretary Datuk Abdul Rahim Md Ariff.

They can be contacted at the following: 

MAJLIS BANDARAYA IPOHJalan Sultan Abdul Jalil,
30450, Ipoh Perak

Tel : 05-2083333
Fax: 05-2437211
Email : mbi@mbi.gov.my

Datuk Abdul Rahim (left), who chaired the meeting in Ipoh is also the director for licensing and enforcement.

During the session he apologised for the council's action against the killing of Spunk the therapy dog. 

He even went to magnanimously say that Spunk, through his death, had taught them a very valuable lesson over the dog-shooting practice.

He said the council would meet up with his owner to convey their sincerest condolence.

Datuk Rahim also said that he has revamped MBI's dog committee where he himself will now chair all the meetings.

The canine committee will include animal welfare organisations where spay programmes will be a priority. 

The MBI will send their best team to the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) next week to study the latest humane dog-catching methods and will seriously look into building a dog pound as soon as possible. 

Meanwhile, here is the latest Wheel Power article in The Star today written by Petpositive's President Anthony SB Thanasayan.

Please note that the article was written before the good news was announced about the end of dog-shooting in Ipoh.

Please don't forget to let us have your comments at the bottom of this page. Thank you.      

  

THE WORLD OF ANIMAL-ASSISTED THERAPY for the disabled and elderly Malaysians in the country suffered a couple of regretful setbacks recently.

Both incidents involved members of the national animal-assisted therapy society for positive living called Petpositive.

The first was the shocking, senseless and cruel shooting of a therapy dog in the city of Ipoh.

The hapless canine’s name was Spunk.

He was shot dead by the local council (MBI).

The canine belonged to an elderly woman in Taman Merdeka.

For nearly ten glorious years, Spunk had been the 75-year old retired teacher’s best friend and a symbol of successful living.

Living alone since her husband had passed away, the courageous canine was true to his fitting name in every way.

He served as the unsurpassed watchdog anyone could ever wish for.

Long before anyone – or anything, for that matter – could even visibly approach their front gate, Spunk would already be there.

Spunk’s radar-like ears would never fail to pick up the warning sounds instantly.

This kept them both safe and secure during the nights.

In addition to Spunk being the elderly woman’s best defence against loneliness, the adorable pooch was also a great reason to exercise when it was time for his “walkies.”

From what I heard from the incredible dog’s owner, Spunk was also very popular with the neighbours.

They all loved him. The cheeky canine would never fail to bring a big wide smile in their faces whenever he came by with his owner.

In spite of her age, Spunk’s owner was the epitome of a responsible pet owner (RPO).

She would never forget her tissues to pick up after her dog whenever she was on her health walks with Spunk.

However, on the morning of October 30^th she somehow did forget.

And ironically, it was for the reasons of RPO that eventually led to their nightmare.

Leaving Spunk at the gate to dart in for the necessaries ended in a terrible tragedy.

 

That was the same time that the dog-shooters were on their rounds.

Seeing their vehicle, Spunk panicked and fled for his life.

Instead of exercising discretion in the situation, the defenceless dog was hunted down and cold-bloodedly shot to death on the road.

His killers showed no mercy to the animal; even though it proudly wore a valid dog-license around its neck.

Owning a proper license was something that Spunk never once failed to do in his entire existence – thanks chiefly to his owner’s steadfast RPO principles and practice.

The horrible nightmare clearly made a total mockery of obeying the laws of land to have all pet dogs registered.

What was even worse, the MBI quickly carted the carcass off before Spunk’s owner could see him.

All she saw in the end were traces of her best buddy’s blood splashed on the tarred road.

Does the MBI realise what they had done?

Not only had they robbed – in broad daylight – from an elderly person of a very precious friend and confidante in her life to return to an empty home filled with only memories of her dog – but also, by carting the animal away, they had also denied her from experiencing the natural process of grieving over the sudden and horrid loss of a loved one.

And to think that we often like to consider ourselves as matured human beings who are far superior than our counterparts in the animal kingdom?

But even animals in the wild take the time to grieve over the loss of a fellow species at the risk of being consumed by other predators in the process.

This brings me to the second incident: the passing away of one of the few service dogs in Malaysia called Dusty on the sixth of this month.

He was buried in the compound of his home in a disabled centre where he loyally served for over ten years of his rich doggy-life.

The Golden Retriever was a source of joy and inspiration to all the residents of the home during his life.

“Dusty was trained to go for help to our neighbours during an emergency in our centre – I hate to think what would happen to a dog like him – and all of us – if the dogcatchers were to shoot him during his mission” said one of the residents.

Last week, a group of animal rights activists – including the disabled in wheelchairs for the first time – met up with the Director General of Veterinary Services (DVS) Datuk Dr Abdul Aziz Jamalludin in Putrajaya where he issued an immediate ban on all dog-shooting in the country.

As a result of that meeting, a first-ever protem Animal Welfare Council will be convened next Thursday which will be chaired by the DG himself.

The brainchild of Dr Aziz, the council which will be executed from a ministerial level, will cover all aspects of animal welfare issues that include animal-assisted therapy for the disabled and the elderly.

The committee will immediately get cracking into its top priority agenda: the setting up, as soon as possible, of a first-ever Animal Welfare bill to promote and protect the care and well-being of all animals in the country.

PET+BLOGSPOT is the ONLINE BLOG of the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association (Petpositive). Our reports and stories are CURRENT, ACCURATE and RELIABLE. We offer both local and foreign news on animals, disability and the elderly. PET+BLOGSPOT was first established in October 2007. Our hits since then is now 70,000 and going strong! PET+BLOGSPOT is updated daily. Sometimes even twice or three times a day. Kindly take note that views expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of PETPOSITIVE. You may also visit our Webpage by browsing: www.petpositive.com.my You can also find us in Facebook as PETPOSITIVE EMPOWERMENT. Please sign up as a FOLLOWER of this Blog if you haven't done so already in order to show us your kind support. Thank you!