Tears for beloved beach mutt Butcho

GEORGE TOWN: A group of animal lovers here is crying foul over the alleged mishandling by dog catchers of the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) that led to the death of a beach dog.

The female mongrel’s owner K. Chendeladevan, 49, claimed that his dog was tranquillised at dawn on Wednesday and dragged into the council’s truck.

“I have witnesses who saw my dog, Butcho, being dragged by the dog catchers into the truck.

“All this happened after I left for breakfast and upon returning, my colleagues told me that my dog had been taken away.

“So, I went to the MBPP dog pound to claim Butcho, but after waiting for nearly five hours, I was told that Butcho had escaped into the bushes near a hotel in Batu Ferringhi while the dog catchers were catching other dogs,” he told reporters at the beach yesterday.

Chendeladevan, a water sport operator, said he spent another few hours looking for the dog near the said hotel but there was no sight of it.

Later that night, he received a call from a city councillor informing him that Butcho had passed away.

“Until now I have not seen Butcho and her body has not been handed to me,” he said.

Chendeladevan said his dog had a licence and claimed that the tag fell off when she was dragged into the truck.

He added that a police report was also made on the matter at the Batu Ferringhi police station.

A flower placed on a framed photo of Butcho

Independent animal activist Dalbinder Singh said Butcho was well-known among tourists and operators along the stretch of beach.

“She was a friendly dog and would never hurt anyone. It does not deserve to die like this.

“We are not against the council in addressing feral dogs, but there are proper methods to do so,” he said.

He urged the council to conduct thorough investigations and surveys to address the matter.

A group of tourists from England, who annually visit Penang for the past 28 years, said their morning walks would never be the same again without Butcho.

MBPP, in a statement on Thursday, said the council followed its standard operating procedure by tranquillising the stray dogs.

In the unfortunate incident, MBPP said the dog might have died due to old age or heart attack.

It said the dosage used on the dog was according to the dog’s weight and approved by its veterinary officer.

Tourists expressing sorrow over Butcho’s death; Chendeladevan showing the licence and tag for his pet dog. — CH IN CH ENG YEANG/The Star

“MBPP also only catch dogs without licence or collars.

“At the time of the operation on Wednesday, the dog neither had a licence nor a collar and its licence application was only done after the operation was done.

“We urge all dog owners to ensure that their dogs have licenses and are not loitering in public areas,” the statement said.