COMMENT OF THE DAY: MPS Should Be Fully Transparent In Order To Be Credible

PETPOSITIVE LETTER FOR THE DAY FROM "CONCERNED"

"Well, i think it's a positive move but i don't think MPS would retain all these positive changes for long. I hope they prove us wrong though, given the all councils track records on animal cruelty and MPS being one of the worst, i think they're doing all these to delude the public for now. But i do hope that it will continue with all the positive changes. I'm just being 'reasonable' with our country's norm whereby dirty deeds got exposed, then 'some' party steps in, changes are done then things go back to as it was. I hope that you, Mr.Anthony can see this through and we are glad that the first step has been taken but forgive us if we have our doubts on the local councils, it is not without a good reason. Honestly, i hope that once the positive changes have taken place, MPS would allow visitation from the public to the pound to have a look at it themselves so that there wouldn't be any guessing going on on pound conditions, animal welfare, and so on. Keeping the public out will only create more outrage and doubts about what are the local councils doing to the animals behind closed doors. A visitation time could be put up to allow public to go to the pound/s and donate food, bail any pets/strays, to adopt, and so on. I think that would be a more feasible approach rather than telling us that nobody is allowed and just let the local councils do their job in managing the pound. We can't be blamed when we say that we do not have trust in the local councils management. I hope you understand our plight Mr.Anthony. Besides, i also heard that the MPK pound is slowly going back to it's original condition where there are no proper food for the animals in custody, my friend went there last weekend and found the place to be dirty and food are scarce. When questioned, the caretakers said that they have nobody going to collect food from SPCA (SPCA have agreed to send cooked food twice a week) twice weekly as it was far away. I hope you look into this, and i will take your advise on not being an armchair critic so i have taken my time off next Monday to go to the pound and see it for myself. Will definitely keep u posted on the MPK pound condition. Thanks for initiating the MPS meeting, hope to see more positive changes in animal welfare in Malaysia". - CONCERNED

aNt's reply:  Thank you CONCERNED for your reply. As an animal lover I understand your apprehensions and reservations fully. To be frank, I also share your cynicism and skepticism about many things that are wrong about our country today. 

However, please understand that in my position as councillor, I am also trying to play a role of being a catalyst for change. I have learnt over the past almost two years that it is better to work with the local councils to bring about the change we want than to just remain critical. 

The new committee for canines is MPS is at a very fragile and infant stage. It will need time to develop itself as it is a very new concept for the local council. As far as I am concerned, I want to do everything I possibly can to make it happen because it is in the continuity of such a council that all animals will benefit in the end. 

There is a tremendous amount of education work to be accomplished over the weeks and months. Not only do the councils need to be educated but also NGOs for animal concerns which in my opinion are too bellicose in their approach rather than being helpful to them. 

I've learnt that our authorities have to put up against many residents who are very against dogs in their neighbourhood. Many of them wish them to be shot. Some suggestions have also been made to bring in more Vietnamese immigrants so that they can eat all the canines and be done with them. 

So you see, the council has lack of awareness from others to deal with as well. And I am not blaming these anti-dog people because the blame also goes back to irresponsible pet owners who allow their dogs to behave in non acceptable ways to make neighbours hate them.

Regarding the MPK pound, I'm afraid that you may be misinformed. MPK, thanks to CAT, is in the best condition than it has ever been. It is cleaned at least four times a day - virtually double the time that some animals shelters are cleaned in a day. 

Perhaps your friend my have visited it when the dogs may have just relieved themselves? Food supply is being worked on a good programme where MPK is in the midst of purchasing dog kibble from various companies. 

Food is also being collected regularly and faithfully from SPCA Selangor. You may check these facts out independently from the SPCA themselves or from Mrs Pat Lim, an animal activist, who is in-charge of checking on the pound management: 016 656 8997.

However, this is not to say that your complaints is not taken into consideration. I will still raise these matters up at our CAT meeting which is held once a month in MPK's headquarters. I look forward to your personal visit to the pound and your feedback. Please feel free to call me or SMS your complaints. (012 220 3146).


This applies to anyone else who is sincerely concerned about the quality of care and management in the MPS and MPK pounds.


Thank you once again CONCERNED for your views. We appreciate it very much which is why we have highlighted your comments as our Letter of the Day.            


Warm regards

aNt
PET+BLOGSPOT


PET+BLOGSPOT is the official online blog of the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association (Petpositive).

We take pride in the fact that everything you read in our blog is ACCURATE, RELIABLE and THE LATEST.

Our blog which was first established in October 2007 currently has more than 35,000 hits. PET+BLOGSPOT is updated frequently.

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

WEEKEND VIEW #1: Better Approach For Councils

I HAVE been learning about a lot of things lately. 

The most recent has been about local councils. 

For example: When you happen to find yourself in a situation where you are on a head on collision against them, what do you do?

Is it better to: A) Fight them? Or B) engage with them in order to try and get them on your side?   

Well, I never thought that as a person who had on several occasions championed canine issues in my wheelchair with the local authorities that a day would come by when I would suddenly find myself almost totally on their side.

And who would have dreamt – and God forbid – that I would even have to spar with some of my animal activist friends over the matter!

That happened recently over reports of allegations of cruelty that came out in the newspapers over a particular dog pound in Selangor.

Now please, don’t you all go and misunderstand me.

It’s not that I believe that nothing bad ever took place in the pound.

It very well could have. Just as animal activists we know such cases probably occur at one time or another in other local council pounds throughout the country.

The pictures of so-called “acts of cruelty” indicating something that was going on at the pound that was certainly not alright was one thing.

However, my real problem was in believing some of those nasty stories. Particularly so when I visited the pound in my official capacity as the Canine Advisory Team (CAT) chairman of my local council.  

So much so that whatever really happened became lost as a result in the contradictions and exaggerations, ranging from incredulity to ludicrousness.  

Reports of dogs, for example, being systematically starved to death and then suddenly being changed to “abuse” of being fed with only white rice.

Canines being drowned by local council staff, or suddenly being torched alive sounded very much like a horror story right out of some medieval time of a crazy canine-cleansing ritual camp where officials take great pleasure in torturing dogs for fun and sport.

All these happening right in front of our eyes here in modern Malaysia!

"What I don’t understand is that if such heinous proportions of cruelty were being committed by anybody, why weren’t police reports duly made?"

And some of these “human animal torturers” were people who made it a point to regularly attend our monthly CAT meetings.

What I don’t understand is that if such heinous proportions of cruelty were being committed by anybody, why weren’t police reports duly made? 

Or lawyers employed to take the perpetrators to court – especially if incriminating pictures existed? 

The truth of the matter is the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) - the rightful body to take action against cruelty matters in Malaysia – visited the local pound last week – as they had done several times before.

The pound was given an all-clear sign after the DVS had pointed out measures of improvements to take for the future.

Last week, funnily enough, a group of disabled activists and I visited the very same local council for a totally different matter.

We were there in our wheelchairs mostly to conduct an access survey exercise on how friendly the local council building was to people with disabilities.

We decided to take a much softer and more-friendly approach with the council.

None of us shouted or tried to hurl accusations at them even though we were not completely happy with the conditions of their building.

Instead, after tea, we got them to take us on a tour around their buildings and made our critical assessments of what we saw around us.

But not before getting some of the building, engineering, planning and landscape experts into wheelchairs themselves or blindfolded just to allow them to have an experiential perspective of what life was like for us as persons with disabilities.   

We watched as an engineer struggled to get “his wheelchair” into the men’s restroom. He became so frustrated that he jumped out of the wheelchair in the end.

I asked a “blinded” key building staff to push the non-Brailled buttons in the lift to get us to the ground floor. She had no idea where the buttons were or which button to press for which floor because there were no markings on it for the blind.

And when we got to the right floor, she was totally unaware as there was no voice synthesizer to indicate which floor the lift had made its stop on.

The two hours spent on the exercise was a huge learning experience for both parties.

For the key planners of the town, it was an eye-opener as to how the needs of a very important community had been not thought about enough by the council.

Now imagine if we decided to take a totally aggressive approach?  

For us, it was a simple and valuable lesson in life when it comes to local councils: There is always a better and another more effective way to skin a cat. (Please pardon the expression.)

Note: Pictures are also courtesy of the Independent Living and Training Centre in Rawang, Selangor. 

The End

 


PET+BLOGSPOT is the official online blog of the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association (Petpositive).

We take pride in the fact that everything you read in our blog is ACCURATE, RELIABLE and THE LATEST.

Our blog which was first established in October 2007 currently has more than 35,000 hits. PET+BLOGSPOT is updated frequently.

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

WEEKEND VIEW #2: NGO WANTS CLOSE COOPERATION BETWEEN ANIMAL WELFARE GROUPS, COUNCILS - the sun

Story by Yia Zhi Jern and Stephanie Augustin

DATELINE RAWANG: A non-governmental organisation (NGO) wants greater cooperation between animal welfare groups and local councils in dealing with the alleged mismanagement of pounds.
 
Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association (Petpositive) and Canine Advisory Team (CAT) president Anthony Thanasayan said both parties have to work together to ensure animal welfare.

He was responding to the recent case of alleged mistreatment of dogs at the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) pound in Rawang.

The case came to light when the NGO, Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better (MDDB), posted eyewitness accounts and photos on its blog on Feb 21. The photographs of dog carcasses, diseased dogs and tick-infested kennels outraged many animal lovers.
 
Following this, several other parties, including the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), MPS councillor Gunarajah George, and Petpositive’s Thanasayan, who is also Petaling Jaya city councillor, visited the pound.

“It is not true that the pound is a hellhole. I’ve been to the pound and the dogs had food and clean water. I don’t know what happened before but today it looked okay,” said Thanasayan who visited the pound on Feb 24.
 
However, he admits there could be negligence.

“They have probably 60% knowledge required to look after the pound. The caretaker, who has come under fire, is actually knowledgeable in pound management as she attends CAT meetings on dog care.”
 
Thanasayan believes in engaging the council instead of hurling accusations at them.

“Clearly MPS needs help – they have admitted so. The council has immediately implemented some of the guidelines we submitted to them while some others will start in a month.”

Some of the guidelines the council has decided to implement immediately include not entering compounds during operations, to stop catching puppies and unlicensed but collared dogs.

He said MPS Director of Health and Licensing Dr Razif Zainol Abidin had told him the pound would put in place measures to improve the situation within the next month.

These measures include separating strays and pets, looking into nutrition and canine healthcare, as well as euthanising strays.

Gunarajah, when contacted, said MPS will also form a committee involving representatives from the Health Department, MPS, Department of Veterinary Services (DVS), Petpositive, MDDB and SPCA to monitor the pound.

MPS and DVS have both launched separate inquiries into the Selayang pound situation.

(Note: This story in The Sun appeared on Wednesday, March 3, 2010. Pictures are courtesy from PET+BLOGSPOT.)



PET+BLOGSPOT is the official online blog of the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association (Petpositive).

We take pride in the fact that everything you read in our blog is ACCURATE, RELIABLE and THE LATEST.

Our blog which was first established in October 2007 currently has more than 35,000 hits. PET+BLOGSPOT is updated frequently.

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

All Clear And Moving Forward: DVS Spot checks MPS Pound.

PET+BLOGSPOT got the scoop yesterday that more than half a dozen enforcement officers from the Department of Veterinary Services or DVS conducted an unceremonious visit to the controversial Rawang dog pound in Selangor. 

The spot check executed on the same day was made at about 11am. 

The DVS action, we have learnt, was based on newspaper allegations early this week that the dog pound - run by the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) - was being "grossly mismanaged", allegations according to a couple of animal rights and welfare organisations. 

PET+BLOGSPOT spoke to Dr Thiba Rajoo, who was also part of the eight-member team who went there in her professional capacity as a veterinary officer. 

We quizzed her on her findings: 

PET+BLOGSPOT: Was the DVS' visit really unannounced?

Dr Thiba: "Yes, no one knew at all that we were coming. The pound worker immediately opened the gates for our visit."

So what did you see there? 

"I was very pleased to see that the pound was clean with about 15 dogs and five puppies.

"The puppies were separated from the adults. Each kennel didn't house more than three animals. According to the pound worker, these were the dogs that were caught the day before. 

"Clean water was provided for the animals as well as kibbles in each of the kennels. The dogs looked well-rested and were asleep when we went there."

But why are puppies still there? The MPS said that no more puppies would be nabbed:

"The caretaker pointed out that the five puppies were surrendered by an owner and not caught by the MPS. I also noticed a pregnant dog in one of the kennels. 

"The caretaker told me that he had received specific instructions by Health Director Dr Razif Zainol Abidin to take the dog immediately to the nearby veterinary clinic for treatment."

Were there any dogs needing put downs?

"I did not see any other dogs that were sick enough to be euthanised at once. I was pleased that the kennels were promptly deticked and that the kennel floors are washed daily with disinfectant. 

"I do not know immediately about how the other professionals in my team felt, but I was certainly satisfied with the current conditions at the MPS pound."    

What about a so-called "controversial character" called Ernie who received scathing attacks from some quarters? 

 

"I told her that as a DVS official, we are putting her in charge now for the management of the pound. 

"I made it clear to her that the DVS will be conducting spot checks from time to time and that she needs to come up with a proper management system in accordance to the DVS' stray guideline.

"She agreed to what I said. I also called the DVS in Gombak to provide the council pound with fly repellent spray and antiseptic cream, so that initial treatment can be done by the pound worker to make sure wounds are clean and do not worsen. 

"I also instructed them that sick animals must be promptly reported to DVS Gombak. If that is not possible, then a private veterinarian must be consulted to inspect the sick dogs. The MPS representative agreed to everything."

What about the five pups?  

"They were all about a month old and very healthy. I made arrangements to have them sent to PAWS animal welfare shelter".

So, what happens to the pound from here on?

"In my opinion the pound manager must be given guidance on how to manage a pound, and the workers be taught on how to maintain cleanliness and how to identify signs and symptoms of sick animals so that these animals can be separated and then veterinary help sought." Concluded Dr Thiba.

Dr Thiba Rajoo is the Petaling district veterinary officer. She has also served as veterinary medical officer at University Veterinary Hospital at UPM. She has been a vet for over five years and worked for one year in animal rescue work in the Langkawi Animal Shelter called LASSIE.

PET+BLOGSPOT is the official online blog of the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association (Petpositive).

We take pride in the fact that everything you read in our blog is ACCURATE, RELIABLE and THE LATEST.

Our blog which was first established in October 2007 currently has more than 35,000 hits. PET+BLOGSPOT is updated frequently.

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

Clean up your act, local council dog pounds told - The Sun

Story By Meena L Ramadas

DATELINE SUBANG JAYA:

The Selangor government has instructed all municipal councils to "clean up their act" concerning the management of animal pounds.  


State executive councillor for health, estate workers' affiars, poverty eradication and caring government Dr Xavier Jayakumar said yesterday all municipal councils have been told to maintain the cleanliness of the pounds, work with the Veterinary Services Department under the Agriculture Ministry and that officers have to treat sick animals and follow guidelines on euthanising them.


He said the recent media reports on the poor condition of local council pounds had resulted in checks made to the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS), Klang Municipal Council and Ampang Jaya Municipal Council pounds.


"There reports about the MPK pound was found to be not true," he said, after launching a workshop organised by Canine Advisory Team (CAT) on the management of stray animals and pets in Selangor at the Subang Jaya Municipal Council.


"As far as MPS is concerned, we have informed the health section of the council to make the necessary changes," he said.  


A blog posting revealed that a dozen dogs had died in the MPS pound over the last one week due to mismanagement and slacking of caretaking duties.


Jayakumar said the state is working to streamline animal licensing guidelines across municipal and city councils. "We will consider all sensitivities."


He said the guidelines have been in place for a significant amount of time under the Local Government Act and changes take "a bit of time".


Jayakumar said the state is also stydying total procedural matters concerning the way in which animals are treated in municipal council pounds after receiving complaints on the management of pounds and animals.


He said the public should expect more information soon about a centralised pound to be established by the state.


Jayakumar said the facility requires at least two hectares and the only available land is in Sepang.


“I have plans for it and I have also spoken to consultants on ways to establish a environmentally-
friendly facility,” he said.


Meanwhile, the forum organised by CAT yielded five recommendations: local councils to work together with the veterinary department and officers, local councils to cooperate with NGOs on catching strays, microchipping for easy ownership identification, educating pet owners and more stringent licensing laws.


Twelve local councils took part in the forum.

(Note: This news story in The Sun was published on Wednesday, March 3, 2010. (Pictures are by PET+BLOGSPOT) 

PET+BLOGSPOT is the official online blog of the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association (Petpositive).

We take pride in the fact that everything you read in our blog is ACCURATE, RELIABLE and THE LATEST.


Our blog which was first established in October 2007 currently has more than 35,000 hits. PET+BLOGSPOT is updated frequently.


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

MPS DOG POUND: Shenaaz shares her views

SHENAAZ SAYS:

MY CATS!! Scarcely a moment passes in which they aren’t engaged in some wasteful frivolity or emitting a noise of the most unsettling description!! Lucky buggers. They’re in a perpetual state of ataraxia. After all, they aren’t spending their days cabined, cribbed and confined. Unlike council-caught canines.  I love alliteration. But I digress.

COUNCIL-CAUGHT CANINES! The cruelty continues. Over the last week or so, animal activists have been clawing at the Selayang council pound demanding dismissals and enraging employees. The reason? Allegations of cruelty, starvation and mismanagement of the pound were brought to light in the form of gruesome pictures and a grisly narrative. Filthy enclosures! Emaciated dogs! Diseased puppies! Inhumane killings! Rotting carcasses! No food! No medication! The Abyss!!   The MPS appeared to have a fool proof recipe for disaster.

Now the MPS, might I remind you, were the very same council that marshaled the preposterous and absurd Dog catching competition some 3 years ago!! A group of animal rights organizations including yours truly then marched to their doorstep and demanded that the competition be stopped. We were obdurate. We were valiant. We were triumphant! But for all intents and purposes, we went, we barked, we were thrown a bone, we wagged our tails and we left.  I am proud of my actions that day but not without regret. The MPS stray issue had hitherto been at the far most back of my desiccated mind. And THAT is my regret.

 As I recall, certain groups then had seemingly made some inroads with the MPS and it was assumed that all was well in the house of Selayang. That assumption, however, was a mistake of unimaginable proportions. A mistake that has today resulted in these fresh allegations.

As an animal lover and keeper of cats, I am aggrieved, angry and appalled!!! All animals, be they domestic, livestock or wildlife, have fundamental rights. They have a right to be protected, to be cared for, to be respected. The latest pictures speak volumes. They indeed depict the very sorry sight and plight of these poor animals. Any justification or explanation, however feasible, cannot negate the fact that these creations of God were treated in very ungodly of manners. Simple logic dictates that such practices must be contemptuously crushed!! But how?

I am no Columbo but I thought an investigative approach of the situation might be useful.

I contacted the accuser and together we went to visit the accused. We were however denied entry into the pound by the burly yet friendly caretaker. Yesterday though, the Canine Advisory Team (CAT) and I were welcomed with open arms. Reason being? We asked nicely. There’s no point deafening them with screams when their ears aren’t even open.

So I was finally at the scene of the alleged crime. And this is what I saw. The pound was unrealistically clean. Food was in abundance. The water was crystal clear. The staff was polite. The dogs appeared to be relatively okay and responded well to Mr. Burly Man. Was what I saw orchestrated for our benefit? Possibly.

However, owing to my legal background, I am inclined to contend that the actus reus need be proven. And those pictures, as damning and bona fide as they are, can’t do that. At least not in the eyes of our blind justice system. Even in instances when an act of council cruelty was caught on video, the powers that be, despite smelling a rat and seeing the white elephant, chose to turn a deaf ear!

But the MPS appear to be listening. The pound visit was followed by a fruitful meeting with the MPS officials. Admissions were made. Issues have been addressed. Changes have been promised. A committee has been set up. Has all this been done begrudgingly or sincerely? I do not know. In the coming weeks, I shall though. I personally believe bad things happened there. Did they happen on purpose? I don’t know. Did they happen regularly? Maybe. Did they happen? I believe they did. I also believe there isn’t a right or wrong way of dealing with errant councils. Just a way that works and a way that doesn’t.

                                                        

So instead of dancing around like a hyperactive Pomeranian, I much rather engage the council in effecting positive change. I might be accused of sleeping with the enemy. But I’m a fierce advocate of safe sex and I have a rhino’s rump. I’ve just simply run out of ways to say “I don’t care”.  So to my ever expanding gaggle of critics, you cling to your own ways and leave mine to me. I shall wait. I shall see. I shall make paper balls and throw them at my cats.

PET+BLOGSPOT is the official online blog of the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association (Petpositive).

We take pride in the fact that everything you read in our blog is ACCURATE, RELIABLE and THE LATEST.

Our blog which was first established in October 2007 currently has more than 35,000 hits. PET+BLOGSPOT is updated frequently.

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

WEEKEND VIEW: POUND DOGS: What's The Best Way To Deal With Local Councils?

aNt's aNgle:

IT'S FUNNY HOW SOME ANIMAL-LOVERS THINK.

Nothing seems to ever appease them when it comes to local governments (PBTs) and dog pounds.

No matter what PBTs do to try and improve the situation of a pound, they are never satisfied. 

Every action of local councils is seen by them with deep suspicion and distrust.

Fortunately, these are only a small group of people.

For them as long as councils continue to catch dogs, keep and kill (euthanise) them, the latter will always be unpopular and eternally incorrigible in their eyes.

But does anyone stop to care and think about why canines end up in such a hot soup in the first place?

Is it really true that all PBTs possess a strong and an insatiable craving to get rid of all dogs in our country? 

Maybe some people do. 

But every single person and every single council? 

Come on, get real people!

If that were true, one can also say the very same about NGOs that work towards neutering campaigns. Now, such efforts literally want to stop the production of dogs in our environment. 

If it is true that the goal of councils is to eradicate canines, then why do they bother to issue dog licenses in the first place? 

And why are some councils like the Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya (MBPJ) and Majlis Perbandaran Subang Jaya (MPSJ) for instance, currently engaging themselves in education programmes about dogs?

Early next week they are holding a workshop on the topic of proper and humane care among local councils and pet owners.

This event is expected to bring together a dozen local councils in Selangor. That makes up all the 12-local councils in the state. 

Whilst this is a closed-door event for the general public, animal rights and welfare organisations and the Department of Veterinary Services have also been invited for the occasion making it the first time such a collaboration of its nature is being held pretty much in the history of our nation.

At this meeting all participants are expected to express their concerns and put forward their views about how to create a more effective way of dealing with canine problems faced by the local councils.

Not many of us realise that local councils catch dogs based on the public's complaints on the animals. 

Trapping them and putting them in pounds is a responsibility that local councils have to take because it is not only their jobs to do it but there are local by laws calling for such actions to be executed. 

So if we want someone to blame, we should be pointing our fingers at these complainants rather than the local councils. 

But then again, is it really the complainants' who are the ones who are at fault again? 

The source of the complaints are the animals that bark too much, or go over to the annoyed neighbours homes to unceremoniously pee and poo there?

Which, brings us to THE JACKPOT QUESTION: is it the dog's fault or their lazy owners who don't bother to take them for walks on a leash and pick up after them. 

So who are the REAL culprits and monsters?

Yet, what are animal NGOs that are often quick to condemn local councils doing about educating pet owners of their responsibilities on these matters?

If it is not our job as animal NGOs, whose dirty job is it?   

What I really don't get is if councils are wrong in the way they treat animals - and we all know that many of them have been - what are we as dog lovers doing about it?

I'm not talking about pointing fingers at them? Gosh, that really is the easy way out.

But pray tell me which NGO has ever tried to work with local councils for a change? 

I don't mean just storming into offices and handing over memorandums to the governors and mayors.

I'm talking about properly planned and persistent follow-up efforts and programmes with more tack, friendly persuasion and diplomacy.

These down-to-earth approaches in my experience have proven to be far more effective than in pointing righteous fingers, screaming in blogs and inundating sometimes distorted and exaggerated stories into the mailbags of politicians and what-nots.

Recall the wise lesson we learnt as children in our fairy tale storybooks about a boy who cried wolf?

There is a right place and time for everything: pictures and exposes, write ups, media highlights, memorandums, demonstrations, complaints to the Department of Veterinary Services and the full works.

But pray tell me once again in which parts of our current campaigns in the so-called "MPS scandal" did we allow for diplomacy and healthy dialogues to take root before we decided to pull out our parangs (machetes) and samurai swords? 

To use the great John Lennon's phrase, did we give peace a faint of a chance for a possible genuine working together relationship before resorting to operation SWAT rescue? 

And friends, the only way in which I see such a thing ever happening is if we are willing to leave the past behind.

Let's think about the great today and what we hope to build for in an even greater tomorrow. 

But that doesn't in any way mean that the past has nothing to teach us. We should cherish it as a solemn reminder of what we all don't want to see happening ever again.

The past should not prejudice our hearts and minds into not allowing to rekindle lost hopes and regaining our trust in people - even if some of them happen to be old faces that we had engaged with before. 

Let us not judge people and label them and become paranoid in the process. To do that would turn us into the very demons and ghouls that we see in other people.  
 
And just because I say this does not mean I'm now a government agent or a spy as one particular ardent critic of mine labeled me the most recently. 

Frankly, I've heard people saying all kinds of things about me but I must admit, this is the most amusing and rather flattering one of all.

However, I'm not interested in being dragged into cat fights with difficult or troubled personalities.

All I can do is to feel very sorry for such people and hope that one day they will wisen up and learn to use all that wasted energy on something more productive for others than on me.  

But let's focus away from me and concentrate on what really matters most: the dogs in the pounds. 

Because this is all about them, it is vital that no matter which camps we come from, we need to keep focused on how to bring about effective change for the countless strays in all the pounds throughout Malaysia.

One such humble opportunity begins at the workshop.

PET+BLOGSPOT! is using our Weekend View from right now until Sunday to try and broach your views on how this can best be done. 

Please write in with your views on how you think the dogs at the pound and the local councils can help to raise their quality of lives. 

Views expressed here will be brought up at the major workshop next week. They will also be discussed at the Canine Advisory Team meetings in Majlis Perbandaran Selayang (MPS), MBPJ and MPK.

Kindly note however that only polite and constructive remarks will be published in this blog

aNt
PET+BLOGSPOT!   


PET+BLOGSPOT is the official online blog of the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association (Petpositive).

We take pride in the fact that everything you read in our blog is ACCURATE, RELIABLE and THE LATEST.

Our blog which was first established in October 2007 currently has more than 35,000 hits. PET+BLOGSPOT is updated frequently.

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

NO MASS STARVATION IN MPS POUND SAYS COUNCILLOR

"NO DOGS APPEARED AS IF THEY WERE STARVING to death to me when I visited the pound," declared Majlis Perbandaran Selayang (MPS) councillor Gunarajah George.

He said this to PET+BLOGSPOT yesterday after making a special trip to investigate claims of abuse at the dog shelter in Rawang which is used by the local council to house strays caught by them.

"Although I did come across more than a dozen dogs that showed signs of listlessness (which probably were sick and in need of being put down), I did come across quite a few that actively barked at me when I approached their cell," he pointed out. 

"Some of them even lept on their hind legs with curiosity to get a closer look at us at the pound.

"And when the food was served, many left to their feet and even fought with the other dogs to get their share." Gunarajah said. 

He went on to explain that he saw dogs that looked normal as well as some that were skinny.

"But none of them, in my opinion, looked so thin that they were suffering from starvation," observed the town councillor. 

However, there were several issues that concerned Gunarajah - something he said he would definitely look into:

1. Rice for the dogs were served on the floor. This is not acceptable. (Food is cooked for the dogs).
2. No medication to treat the infestation of ticks. According to him, requests for these were made by the kennel staff but those at the top were slow in delivering them.
3. Dogs carcasses were being disposed of at the entrance and collected by the garbage truck. Upon investigation, it was learnt that the bodies were usually collected by the private veterinarian who puts down the canines. But because he had not turned up in awhile, the diseased dogs that died were disposed off in this unconventional way.
4. The reason why the situation deteriorated was particularly because of the recent Chinese New Year holidays where some of the staff was not around.        

Gunarajah who was moved by the situation viewed the matter more as a case of pound mismanagement than a deliberate act of cruelty by any of the MPS staff. 


He has promised to follow up on the matter at the council level. The first priority, he said, is to get the food going again. 

Meanwhile, PET+BLOGSPOT! has learnt from a professional animal doctor that it would take four days for a dog to die of hunger and even shorter than that if the animal was denied water.

So if the MPS were in fact trying to starve the canines with NO FOOD AND WATER, how did many survive as one person claimed this was going on for a month?

How does one also account for the fact that there are healthy dogs that came in with the sick dogs that are surviving?

Also animals can also start losing weight because of infections and diseases which could be the reason why several dogs have died in the pound.

Puppies are especially susceptible to these conditions. Puppies can also die if they are put together in cages with large dogs that deny the younger canines access to food.

The veterinarian also pointed out that if dogs were suffering from starvation, they would resort to cannibalism. 

They also would not be able to defecate. This clearly contradicts one report that dogs were seen eating their own poop to survive.

Friends, it's easy to point fingers and go on a witch hunt of local councils. 

But it takes a much bigger person and organisation to find out all the facts first before anyone of us tries to fire our shotguns.

Please stay tuned and we'll tell you more when were find out. 



PET+BLOGSPOT is the official online blog of the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association (Petpositive).

We take pride in the fact that everything you read in our blog is ACCURATE, RELIABLE and THE LATEST.

Our blog which was first established in October 2007 currently has more than 35,000 hits. PET+BLOGSPOT is updated frequently.

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

MPS DENIES CRUELTY IN POUND - CAT to inspect animal shelter on Wednesday

PETPOSITIVE UPDATE #2 ON MPS DOG POUND:

"The stories of dogs being starved to death at our pound is simply NOT TRUE!" says Dr Razif Zainol Abidin, the director of health and Licensing at the Majlis Perbandaran Selayang (MPS) this afternoon. 

This was the reply that was given to our President Anthony SB Thanasayan in a telephone conversation with the gentleman this afternoon.

Thanasayan told PET+BLOGSPOT that Dr Razif went on to explain to him that the MPS had worked very hard to make their pound one of the best in the state.

"I would never be unkind to animals as I myself own a few cats and love them very much," he added, pointing out that cruelty to animals was NOT part of MPS' way of working with animals.

Dr Razif said that the MPS had nothing to hide and pointed out that the reports against the pound may have been created by outsiders who don't understand the full workings of the pound or may not have the right facts. 

A meeting has been set for the Canine Advisory Team to visit the pound on Wednesday. 

Before that, Thanasayan will also meet with Dr Razif with representatives of the Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Save-A-Stray, an animal welfare organisation that has been rescuing strays from the streets and rehoming them.

Responding to Dr Razif's remarks, Thanasayan has advised dog lovers to remain calm until all the facts of the situation has been fully studied.

"The MPS has expressed its desire to be open about the allegations made about them," he said. 

"It is best that we respond to the situation in a matured and measured way rather than to spread any distortions at this time.

"After all, our goal as animals lovers is to help all the dogs in the pound; and not try and jeopardize their well-being in any way."

Meanwhile, a visit to the dog pound by SPCA Inspector Cunera Kimlon has indicated the the pound is clean and that the dogs are not in an immediate danger.

Food and water is available for them though some animals clearly need to be put down because of their poor health, said Cunera.    

Thanasayan said he is waiting for a crucial report from MPS Councillor Tuan Gunarajah who is visiting the pound now. 

PET+BLOGSPOT will provide details of his findings when it is known.        

PET+BLOGSPOT is the official online blog of the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association (Petpositive).


We take pride in the fact that everything you read in our blog is ACCURATE, RELIABLE and THE LATEST.


Our blog which was first established in October 2007 currently has more than 35,000 hits. PET+BLOGSPOT is updated frequently.


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

UPDATE ON MPS POUND: Letter of Serious Concern to DVS by Selangor SPCA

PETPOSITIVE NEWSFLASH!

2pm: THE SITUATION in the Majlis Perbandaran Selayang (MPS) dog pound in Rawang, Selangor, continues to raise serious concerns among animal lovers. 

And now this worry is slowly starting to spread throughout the country and outside.

Vigilant efforts are being made by several groups to establish a true picture of what is going on at the site - including an unannounced visit by our Acting Secretary Shenaaz Khan of PETPOSITIVE as you read this.

We are also waiting to hear the latest from our President Anthony Thanasayan, who is also Chairman of the Canine Advisory Team.

He is awaiting an official report by an MPS Councillor who is making a visit to the pound this afternoon.

The poor management of dog pounds will - without a doubt - be a chief discussion point at a major dog and cat workshop being organised by the Petaling Jaya City Council's (MBPJ) CAT committee early next week. 

The occasion will be launched by YB Dr Xavier Jayakumar, the state executive committee member for Selangor who is in charge of dogs (under Health) and a Caring Government.

Meanwhile, we now print a letter written (with permission) by the Selangor Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) that was sent to the heads of the Department of Veterinary Services who possess the power to intervene on cruelty cases:

"Dear Dato Dr Aziz and Dr Hamdan,

 

"With all due respect, I write this with a very heavy heart.

 

"Over the last decade, 2000-2009, SPCA has been in close contact with DVS passing over many cases of animal abuse but the Enforcement dept only initiated on barely a handful of cases!  This is over 10 years!

 

"The excuse was 'if it's not airtight we do not want to prosecute'. 

 

"I'm sure they were many airtight cases esp the Sabah horses abuse case where 70 horses were malnourished and literally abandoned and the numerous heartywrenching cases of negligence in many Municipal Pounds that continue. By the way MPKajang still uses a truck! My argument is moot at this point.

 

"The public is losing confidence (most likely lost) in DVS as the defender of animal welfare and rights. 

 

"By not acting strongly and decisively against animal abusers, these perpetrators are given the carte blanche to continue their cruel acts. 

 

"I once asked a Cambridge criminal lawyer why people do evil deeds, and her answer is because they know they will not be punished and they then continue to wreck more harm. 

 

"Even the FBI has evidence of the link between animal cruelty and human violence and hence many governments have lobbied for even higher penalties for animal abusers reaching over RM100,000!

 

So DVS, your inaction over the last 10 years has bred a generation of animal abusers that do so because they can with the safe knowledge that they will never be caught, prosecuted or punished! Malaysia boleh?

 

Sincerely,

Christine Chin

Chairman

SPCA Selangor

PET+BLOGSPOT is the official online blog of the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association (Petpositive).

We take pride in the fact that everything you read in our blog is ACCURATE, RELIABLE and THE LATEST.

Our blog which was first established in October 2007 currently has more than 35,000 hits. PET+BLOGSPOT is updated frequently.

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