‘Investigate dog brutality video’

GEORGE TOWN: A video purportedly showing Kulim Kedah Municipal Council (MPKK) personnel using catchpoles to pin down a dog has raised the ire of animal activists.

Animal rights activists Rajesh Nagarajan and Preetal Singh from the Lawyers for Animal Rights NGO said the video, which had gone viral, showed a “heinous and cruel assault” on a defenceless dog that should be investigated by the police.

The video shows the dog being held down by three alleged MPKK staffers using a catchpole that looks like a pitchfork, with the dog yelping and struggling to break free.

“Even more horrifying is when another MPKK worker sticks another sharp catchpole into several parts of the dog’s body, such as its belly and head, while another person holds it down.

“One of the men later resorts to kicking the dog with his boots and the dog suddenly stops yelping as it is either dead or badly injured by the violent acts,” the group said in a Facebook post.

“We demand that the police investigate the MPKK personnel under the Animal Welfare Act 2015 as MPKK should not condone or cover up the wrongful acts of its personnel.”

Ramamoorthy Ratnam, a resident at Macallum Street here, has lodged a police report on the incident.In his report at the northeast district police station, the 54-year-old businessman urged the Veterinary Department and police to investigate the incident.

“Such a cruel act should not be condoned,” he said.

The Star has contacted Kedah local government committee chairman Datuk Dr Mohd Hayati Othman for comment.