Monsters In Our Midst

WEEKEND VIEW WHEELPOWER:  

I sobbed like a little child out of control when I read the horrible news over the last weekend.

Many animal-loving Malaysians throughout the country were terribly distraught too and responded with similar emotions.  

The newsmedia reported that two young foreign students threw a helpless puppy down a manhole, leading to its death before running away – and having a good chuckle over what they had done.

What was worse is that the “murder” was caught on video (sic) by a third accomplice who had no qualms of filming the entire scene.

The incident, we are told, took place in Cyberjaya, sometime in June, two months ago.

The video almost immediately went viral on the Internet after it was uploaded.

I didn’t of course, and couldn’t for the world of me bring myself to watch the carefully planned execution scene. Not even a single frame of it.

The photo stills on print were enough to give me an idea of the kind of nightmare the puppy called, “Kanilla” went through.         

I was just too devastated – agonising over how the innocent and waggy-tailed little “man’s best pal” pup must have felt like by being betrayed by the young men.

Instead of possibly being treated to a game of catch around the park with the boys, Kanilla had no idea that she was bound on a one way ride into an abyss of hell.

Even now and then, whenever I think about it, my blood rapidly curdles and my heart wants to cry; no, SHOUT and demand for the same kind of treatment to the perpetrators!

But then again nope. That would only make me like the very monsters in this world that we don’t want – as well as being no different from them at all.

In helping me come to terms and being healed over Kanilla’s cruel death, I can only think about all the good that animals – especially dogs – had contributed in my life as a person born with a disability.

One of the first pets I had was good ol Brutus a mongrel.

Shortly after I became totally unable to walk and was “banished” at home because the school I was going to refused to build a wheelchair-friendly toilet – Brutus was heaven scent.

Whilst the rest of my able-bodied siblings were in school, it was Brutus who would help me pass through all those lonely and boring hours – day after day – waiting for everyone to get home.

As a boy of 10, who just started using a wheelchair, the canine was the perfect confidante to hear all my ramblings about my “new life.”

Years later into my teens, Cindy took over. She was my “pariah dog cocker spaniel” who learnt to firmly sit on the footrests of my wheelchair as we proudly wheeled around the neighbourhood. Cindy made me loud and proud to be disabled.

Vai my Rottweiler came into my life when I was much older - and suicidal. The so-called “devil dog” (a real baby, actually) taught me how to accept my disability and to move on.

Vai was magically able to get through to me when health professionals tried and failed.

As I learnt to care for his needs, I also unknowingly started looking after myself and kept well – just so I could stay out of hospital and be with him always.

Reba, my Shetland sheepdog is truly a life saver. She monitors my paralysed legs daily and zeroes in on any wounds that pop out from nowhere so that I can get it treated by a doctor at once.

Zhar my Doberman is now officially my new maid in my home. He automatically picks up everything that I drop on the floor and retrieves them for me.

Apart from myself, I know numerous disabled Malaysians whose dogs also raise their quality lives for them. 

I know a quadriplegic whose Rottweiler gives him the only reason to wake up every day after his motor accident.

There’s also another mongrel dog that helps keep an amputee focussed on being positive at all times instead of sinking into depression.

And who can forget my friend, a mum of two disabled children who says her Buster’s wagging tail and loving licks keeps her motivated to help her children all day.

I have no doubt whatsoever that if Kanilla were alive today, she (and others like her) could be raised to be special companions to people in need of friendship and love.

I hope and pray that her abusers will get the justice they deserve from the authorities.

And for all of us who are shocked and outraged by what happened to Kanilla, let us keep her memory alive remembering always that dogs are indeed man’s best friend.

Their positive contributions in our Malaysian society must be respected and be protected at all costs.

   

THE END

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