PETALING JAYA: The owner of Rocky who is at the centre of an animal cruelty case has come out to allege that her pet dog was beaten, strangled and left to die during an anti-stray operation.
Speaking publicly for the first time since the incident on the night of July 29, Rohgini Devi recounted how she repeatedly pleaded for those restraining Rocky to release the noose around its neck.
The housewife said she had left her home in Taman Teluk Gedung Indah, Port Klang, to pick up one of her children when she noticed people on motorcycles chasing after and catching dogs in the neighbourhood.
She said her husband informed her of a child being chased by a dog in the vicinity. But she learnt from neighbours that Rocky was not involved in that incident.
When she returned home, Rohgini said she saw a crowd outside her house and two men in plainclothes restraining Rocky with a noose around its neck.
“I told them Rocky had an owner and that if they wanted to take him away, I would carry him into their van myself.
“I was not stopping them from taking him, but I pleaded with them to remove the noose first,” she told a press conference organised by the Stray Animal Foundation Malaysia (SAFM) here yesterday.
Rohgini said she tried to free Rocky after asking her children to bring a pair of scissors, but the restraint could not be cut because it was made of steel cable.
She said some people tried to stop her from freeing her two-year-old dog.
By the time Royal Klang City Council (MBDK) personnel arrived at the scene, Rocky was already dead.
“They removed the restraint, but Rocky was already gone. They told me Rocky died because I pulled him,” she added.
Rohgini said neighbours later told her Rocky had been hiding beneath a car before being dragged out and beaten.
SAFM president Kalaivanan Ravichandran, who was present, said it was not seeking to prejudge the investigation but wanted the facts to be established.
He said SAFM stepped in after receiving Rohgini’s complaint on July 30 and helped her engage with the relevant authorities and also obtain legal representation, adding that Rocky’s remains was handed over to the Veterinary Services Department.
“If the operation was carried out according to SOP as claimed, we hope the authorities will explain how these guidelines were followed in Rocky’s case,” he said.
He said SAFM also wanted the authorities to clarify as to who conducted the operation, the equipment used, if those involved were trained or authorised and whether emergency treatment was available.
On July 31, MBDK said the operation was carried out following complaints from residents about stray dogs in the area.
The council maintained that the capture operation was conducted according to SOP and that further investigations would be left to the relevant authorities.
MBDK said in previous anti-stray dog operations, its personnel used humane methods, including specialised capture equipment, to safely handle the animals.
