The Selangor Society for Prevention of Cruelty To Animals (SPCA) in Jalan Ayer Kerja Lama came out with a press statement recently on the animal abuse of more than a hundred cats in a pet hotel called Petknode in Damansara Damai in Petaling Jaya.
PETPOSITIVE has no problems with their press release.
EXCEPT for their last point which we take an exception too.
SPCA's press release reads:
"The operators (Petknode) undergo psychiatric treatment and be banned from animal businesses from owning pets for life, unless the court has been satisfied by their rehabilitation."
The above statement is PREJUDICED to persons with mental disabilities.
It gives the impression that all people with psychiatric disorders are predisposed to become animal abusers.
In other words all animal abusers are persons with mental illness or all mentally ill persons are potential animal abusers.
This is not at all true.
In Petpositive's work, we find the reverse to be true.
Animals work as better therapists for people with mental illness than healthcare professionals.
Animals bring out the best in them and give them hope to cope with their conditions in living out a normal life.
The Selangor SPCA, in fact, contradicts itself by suggesting that Petknode operators need psychiatric help.
If they did suffer from some sort of insanity, then why are they - and other animal NGOs - calling for them to be jailed for their actions?
From Petknode's own confession, it is clear that they got too greedy and ended up biting on more than they could chew.
To suggest mental illness for their actions clearly shows the SPCA has no clue about what mental illness is all about in the first place.
SPCA, therefore, should not talk about issues that they are unfamiliar with.
They should leave the issue of mental illness with the experts such as phychiatrists or organisations that work with people with the condition like Petpositive.
To do otherwise, as they did in their speech is only to add more stigma and hurt for a category of people with a condition that is increasing daily.
Let's get it right. People who are cruel to animals act that way for many reasons.
These can stem from ignorance to prejudice - negligence to direct willful acts.
For some it is a power play game which gives them great enjoyment in dominating weaker beings.
It has nothing to do with mental illness at all.
SPCA should focus its attention on fighting against cruelty and leave the issue with disabilities with the experts.
As for Petpositive's position on Petknode, we demand that the perpetrators be brought to justice by taking the strongest possible action against them.
We now print in full SPCA Selangor's press release on the Petknode cat cruelty issue which appeared on Malaysiakini:
The carnage and pitiful sight of the animals boarded at Pet Hotel from Hell has stunned Malaysians and animal welfarists with the indifference, insensitivity, abject neglect of a moral and legal responsibility towards 300 animals.
The owners had to leave Kuala Lumpur for their hometowns during the Hari Raya Celebration to be with their families.
What was supposed to be a wonderful return to KL has turned into a nightmare where their pet cats that had been sent for boarding were malnourished, extremely dehydrated, and filthy.
It has been reported 13 cats have died.
SPCA Selangor is appalled and shocked at the severity of the condition of the cats at Petknode in Damansara Damai and we strongly urge the Department of Veterinary Services and Police, yet again, that the owners/operators of this pet hotel be hit with the full force of the law, that is hardly used by the authorities to curtail and prosecute animal abusers.
SPCA Selangor urges that they be charged RM 200 per cat, which totals RM 60,000 and imprisonment for the full 6 months as stipulated in The Animal Act 1953 (amended 2006)Sec 44.
Undoubtedly these operators will give a host of excuses as to why they abdicated on their duty to care for the animals. SPCA Selangor maintains there is no excuse.
Whether it’s a scam or not, they have a legal and moral responsibility to the cats entrusted into their care and failure to do so will leave them open to be charged for cruelty to animals.
Sec 44 states that anyone “by wantonly or unreasonably doing or omitting to do any act, that causes unnecessary pain and suffering shall be guilty of an offence of cruelty”.
SPCA Selangor has the following to recommend:
1. That all pet owners to do a reasonable check on any boarding facility and meet the operators at their premises and ask how their pets will be cared for.
2. Get references from friends and other animal carers about the track record of the facility.
3. Get to know the operators well and call in regularly during your holidays and talk to the carers or ask friends, family or colleagues to drop by, if possible.
4. Ask friends to assist in boarding your pets, whenever possible.
5. That all pet shops and boarding facilities be approved by DVS either via licensing or general check on the background of the operators.
6. The operators undergo psychiatric treatment and be banned from animal businesses and from owning pets for life, unless the court has been satisfied by their rehabilitation.
Jail call over 'pet hotel from hell'
10 friends can read this story for free
An animal rights group has called for the owners of a pet-boarding business where hundreds of filthy, hungry and neglected cats were discovered to face jail.
The case marks the latest in a series of animal cruelty incidents in Malaysia, which activists say too often go unpunished.
Police broke into two locked sites run by the pet shelter just outside the capital Kuala Lumpur on Sunday and rescued about 300 cats.
Their owners had returned to claim the pets following the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday and Malaysian National Day celebrations, but found the premises abandoned.
Nine cats were found dead, while the other caged pets appeared hungry, dehydrated and sickly - some covered in their own feces and urine - The Star newspaper reported.
Local media reports said police had questioned two owners of the facility but no arrests have yet been reported.
The local branch of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) called for the operators of the business to face the maximum penalty of six months jail for animal cruelty for running what it called the "pet hotel from hell."
The case marks the latest in a series of animal cruelty incidents in Malaysia, which activists say too often go unpunished.
Police broke into two locked sites run by the pet shelter just outside the capital Kuala Lumpur on Sunday and rescued about 300 cats.
Their owners had returned to claim the pets following the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday and Malaysian National Day celebrations, but found the premises abandoned.
Nine cats were found dead, while the other caged pets appeared hungry, dehydrated and sickly - some covered in their own feces and urine - The Star newspaper reported.
Local media reports said police had questioned two owners of the facility but no arrests have yet been reported.
The local branch of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) called for the operators of the business to face the maximum penalty of six months jail for animal cruelty for running what it called the "pet hotel from hell."
New law
In a statement, it also called for the operators to "undergo psychiatric treatment and be banned from animal businesses and from owning pets for life, unless the court has been satisfied by their rehabilitation."
Veterinary Services Department head Abdul Aziz Jamaluddin was reported saying on Monday that Malaysia would introduce a new law next year imposing fines of up to RM100,000 to curb animal cruelty.
The current fine for animal cruelty is just RM200.
Abdul Aziz also said that the department would start rating clinics and other premises that take in animals, based on sanitary conditions and cleanliness.
Animal abuse cases are common in Malaysia, with critics saying culprits are rarely brought to book. Last year, activists expressed outrage over pictures of a puppy apparently being tortured appeared on micro-blogging website Twitter.
In a statement, it also called for the operators to "undergo psychiatric treatment and be banned from animal businesses and from owning pets for life, unless the court has been satisfied by their rehabilitation."
Veterinary Services Department head Abdul Aziz Jamaluddin was reported saying on Monday that Malaysia would introduce a new law next year imposing fines of up to RM100,000 to curb animal cruelty.
The current fine for animal cruelty is just RM200.
Abdul Aziz also said that the department would start rating clinics and other premises that take in animals, based on sanitary conditions and cleanliness.
Animal abuse cases are common in Malaysia, with critics saying culprits are rarely brought to book. Last year, activists expressed outrage over pictures of a puppy apparently being tortured appeared on micro-blogging website Twitter.
- AFP
PET+BLOGSPOT is the ONLINE BLOG of the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association or Petpositive. Our 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 are now 150,000 and ever increasing! PET+BLOGSPOT is updated daily. Kindly note that views expressed in PET+BLOGSPOT 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 under 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 for our work. Thank you!
No comments:
Post a Comment