Moved by plight of strays in video, Melaka CM orders local councils to inspect all animal shelters

MELAKA: Troubled by a viral video of badly neglected dogs, the Melaka Chief Minister has instructed all local councils to conduct immediate checks on animal shelters in the state.

Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali (pic) said he was upset by a video depicting alleged inhumane conditions at a dog pound in Selangor.

He was also disappointed that the dogs were apparently left to starve there.

"This is not the way to treat God's creations," he said in an interview on Thursday (Jan 12).

"I hope Malaysians will come forward to champion the welfare of these animals."

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Sulaiman also sent a personal donation to canine welfare project Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better (MDDB) to buy food for the dogs.

"This is a small contribution from me and hopefully my gesture would (inspire) more people to help these poor dogs. We will also look into other forms of assistance for strays," he added.

Sulaiman also called for an audit of all pounds managed by local councils in Melaka to safeguard the welfare of stray dogs and cats.

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Earlier, several photographs and videos went viral on social media depicting scrawny dogs in unhygienic conditions at the pound, which is supposedly under the supervision of the Kuala Langat Municipal Council (MPKL).

Meanwhile, Negri Sembilan’s Jeram Padang assemblyman Datuk Manickam Letchuman said he was shocked by the video.

He said the dogs would not be in such a state if they had been properly fed and cared for.

In a statement on Thursday, MPKL said the dogs at its pound were fed daily.

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According to Manickam, every state in Malaysia must take a serious look at human methods for managing the stray animal population.

“The only way to reduce strays significantly over time is the trap-neuter-release-manage method," he said, adding that the Negri Sembilan government was practising this as well as approaching the problem in a compassionate manner.

“Our exco in charge of local councils, Teo Kok Seong, is very (focused on) humane methods of handling street dog issues," he said.