THE
INDISPENSABLE JOB of a dogcatcher is rarely appreciated. They are
literally left with the stinking and highly dangerous job of removing
strays from the public so that our communities can be kept clean and
healthy against these "pests." But it is really the pet owners who
contribute to strays by letting them run freely in the streets and
abandoning them. Sure, there are some local councils that are cruel to
strays when they catch them - and this MUST BE CONDEMNED!
But who wants a stinking and low-paying job as a dogcatcher where most of them are untrained and do it only to keep food on the table of their families? None of them want to see any of the canines put down. But it was far worse to see them suffering in the streets with injuries and diseases without love and care and leave them the way they are. As councillor and chairman of MBPJ's Canine Advisory Team which I started, I had the opportunity to join our dogcatchers a couple of times in their rounds.
We took SPCA Selangor and veterinarian Dr Thiba Rajoo with us to give us a professional opinion of how the job should be done humanely. All of us were very impressed with the way MBPJ's dogcatchers handled the dogs. Even when the dogs started to bleed when the rope was around its neck, it was natural as the dog will bite its tongue and bleed for a few minutes. I saw this very thing happen in an animal rescue programme on TV in the USA when the humane group caught them.
Also two of MBPJ's dogcatchers were young Muslim boys. We were simply amazed how kind and humane they were in approaching the animals. They spoke to them lovingly before and after when they were put in their cages.
Dogcatchers in MBPJ also had other responsibilities like fogging mosquitoes which further endanger their health. All the strays are handed over the PAWS Animal Shelter within the same day. The decision whether to put up the animals for adoption or euthanise them owing to disease is left entirely with PAWS and its veterinarian. A total of RM20.00 each is given to each dog, cat, puppy and kitten surrendered over to PAWS.
But who wants a stinking and low-paying job as a dogcatcher where most of them are untrained and do it only to keep food on the table of their families? None of them want to see any of the canines put down. But it was far worse to see them suffering in the streets with injuries and diseases without love and care and leave them the way they are. As councillor and chairman of MBPJ's Canine Advisory Team which I started, I had the opportunity to join our dogcatchers a couple of times in their rounds.
We took SPCA Selangor and veterinarian Dr Thiba Rajoo with us to give us a professional opinion of how the job should be done humanely. All of us were very impressed with the way MBPJ's dogcatchers handled the dogs. Even when the dogs started to bleed when the rope was around its neck, it was natural as the dog will bite its tongue and bleed for a few minutes. I saw this very thing happen in an animal rescue programme on TV in the USA when the humane group caught them.
Also two of MBPJ's dogcatchers were young Muslim boys. We were simply amazed how kind and humane they were in approaching the animals. They spoke to them lovingly before and after when they were put in their cages.
Dogcatchers in MBPJ also had other responsibilities like fogging mosquitoes which further endanger their health. All the strays are handed over the PAWS Animal Shelter within the same day. The decision whether to put up the animals for adoption or euthanise them owing to disease is left entirely with PAWS and its veterinarian. A total of RM20.00 each is given to each dog, cat, puppy and kitten surrendered over to PAWS.
- Tony Dibble likes this.
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