KLUANG: The founder of an animal welfare group has lodged a police report about alleged animal abuse by the Kluang Municipal Council (MPK), which has raised concerns after a video of it went viral.
Siti Fauziah Abdul Jabbar’s NGO, Selangor’s Persatuan Perlindungan Haiwan Terbiar Sungai Buloh (also known as Fauziah Paws Care), uploaded the video.
She said they had been hearing about such abuses by the council for some time, and needed video evidence to prove them.
“We have been asking dog lovers and volunteers to help gather evidence for us.
“I have also lodged a police report and I hope the government will seriously look into the SOP (standard operating procedure) with regard to the capture and disposal of dogs.
“Why were council staff carrying out euthanising at this site when it was supposed to be done at the dog pound by trained professionals?” she questioned.
Siti Fauziah said she would hand over all their video evidence to the police.
Cruel practice: One of the holes dug up to bury the stray dogs in the grounds of an abandoned factory about 200m from the main road between Kluang and Kahang.
She stressed that the canines needed to be put up for adoption first before the option of putting them to sleep was taken.
“MPK charges a full RM500 fine for each stray caught (to anyone who comes to adopt or claim the animal),” she said, adding that her association is willing to work with the council on a trap, neuter and release (TNR) programme.
She was speaking after an animal lover accused MPK staff of having put down and buried stray dogs in the grounds of an abandoned factory.
The person, who declined to be identified, said he was saddened to see the “inhumane” manner in which “more than a dozen dogs” were put down on Friday.
The man said he had started his surveillance there at 5am and waited about an hour before the culling operation began on the land, about 200m from the main road between Kluang and Kahang.
“It was distressing to hear the dogs squealing in pain as they were given the lethal injections.
“One by one, puppies included, were believed to have been dumped into a hole, which was then covered using a backhoe,” he said, adding that two out of the three holes dug up were used that day.
He also claimed that the council staff appeared to be constantly “on edge” during the hour-long operation.
“I want to expose errant council staff who did not follow SOP when catching and putting down dogs in Kluang,” he told The Star in a phone interview.
MPK has also since lodged a police report.
In a statement on Saturday, MPK president Mohd Fahmy Yahya refuted social media allegations that stray dogs were mistreated by the council.
He denied the claims made in the video, adding that MPK follows proper guidelines in the capture and humane euthanasia of stray dogs as outlined by the Housing and Local Government Ministry.
“The process involves the administration of a ‘put to sleep’ injection, overseen and certified by veterinary officers using approved medication.
“Following the circulation of the video, MPK has lodged a police report against the social media accounts involved to protect the council’s reputation and integrity.”
Mohd Fahmy added that the council emphasised the importance of public awareness of the legal and ethical procedures in place for managing stray animals in cooperation with the Veterinary Services Department.
“MPK reaffirms its commitment to animal welfare and strongly condemns any acts of cruelty towards animals.
“The council stresses that it does not engage in any form of mistreatment and upholds ethical standards in handling stray populations within its jurisdiction.”
Meanwhile, Malaysia Animal Association president Arie Dwi Andika has urged all local councils to carry out euthanasia procedures within their own facilities rather than in public spaces.
He also said that releasing stray animals back into public areas after TNR will not resolve the long-standing conflict between humans and strays.
“We need to examine the root cause of this issue – why is the stray population increasing in the first place?
“One reason is the lack of responsible adoption. Many animals, such as dogs, are adopted purely for security purposes, guarding buildings, factories, or farms, with no effort made to neuter or control their population.
“Once the construction is completed or their services are no longer needed, they are abandoned and left to fend for themselves,” he said.
Arie noted that all councils have their own animal pounds and this situation could have been avoided, preventing public distress and outrage.
“We are not against culling, but it should be carried out humanely. More importantly, we need to address this issue holistically.
“Yes, local councils have the authority to capture and dispose of strays under the guidelines but we urge them to exercise this responsibility properly.”
