Monday June 11, 2012
No to animal cruelty
By IVAN LOH
ivanloh@thestar.com.my
ANIMAL rights group, Noah’s Ark Ipoh (NAI) has turned to Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir to intervene against animal cruelty purportedly involving the Ipoh City Council.
NAI founder and treasurer Dr Ranjit Kaur Mendhir claimed that a contractor, appointed by the council, had cruelly disposed off captured dogs, some strays and some owned, at the city’s landfill in Papan last Thursday.
“I was told by a guard at the landfill that about 500 dogs have been killed and dumped there in the past one month.
In protest: Animal rights supporters holding a candle light vigil outside the MB’s official residence. “I’m pleading with Dr Zambry to please look into the matter. Animals, too, deserve to be treated with respect,” she told reporters during a candlelight vigil outside the latter’s official residence on Saturday night.
Dr Ranjit related that distraught dog owners had contacted her and NAI president Malika Ramiah Oates earlier about their pets being captured by the contractor.
“I made a call to the council and was told the dogs would be released at the landfill.
“Some of us went to the landfill while others waited outside the council’s headquarters to get answers from them.
“Fearing the worst, I also made calls to an enforcement officer who told me that the dogs were destroyed by the contractor at RM45 per animal,” said Dr Ranjit whose dog was among those captured by the contractor.
Against
cruelty: Animal rights supporters protest against the Ipoh City
Council, which they believed were mistreating captured dogs recently. Dr Ranjit said no one was allowed to put an animal to sleep without the supervision of Veterinary Services Department officers.
“I have also made calls to the department and they were not aware of any animal euthanasia activities,” she said, adding that she had demanded for the release of her pet’s body but was denied so by the council.
“If my dog was euthanised, I want to find out how it was put away.
“There are speculations that the dogs were killed in a cruel way with some saying that the dogs were shot, poisoned and even suffocated inside gunny sacks,” she added.
Dr Ranjit expressed disappointment with the attitude shown by the council.
“The council doesn’t want to work with us to handle the problem of strays. They are just bent on destroying these dogs,” she said, adding there should be a dog pound to temporarily house the animals for at least 48 hours for their owners to claim before action was taken.
“People can pay fines and claim their motorcycles and cows but why are dogs being treated differently?” she asked.
Oates claimed that the council always postponed or cancelled meetings with NAI to discuss about the problems.
Attempts by The Star to contact Datuk Bandar Datuk Roshidi Hashim for comments were unsuccessful.
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