Let’s all show some love to strays

Senseless death: Last year, the September shooting in Terengganu of a stray dog known affectionately as Kopi raised a firestorm of protests from animal rights groups.

There are plenty of things to do on Valentine’s Day that directly benefit abandoned, orphaned and injured animals.

ACCORDING to Mahatma Gandhi, the greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.

He said: “I hold that the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of man.”

If the indication of how civilised a society is from how it treats animals, then the same is true of individuals – it is the measure of a person’s character.

Why am I bringing this up? Two reasons – one, you would not have failed to notice the spate of incidents of animal cruelty in recent months, targeting both cats and dogs.

And second, it’s Valentine’s Day today, a time to celebrate love not just for our friends, family, and partners but also for the animals who bring joy and balance to our lives. This is a direct quote from the Paws website.

According to this non-profit organisation, which helps re-home stray cats and dogs, while roses and chocolates aren’t ideal gifts for our furry or feathered friends, there are plenty of things to do on Valentine’s Day that directly benefit abandoned, orphaned, and injured animals.

This is in stark contrast to what we’ve been exposed to in the last few months.

In the middle of last year, the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) reported an alarming rise in animal abuse cases compiled from 2021.

Up to July 2024, the department received a whopping 7,613 reports of cruelty towards animals.

The rising cases of animal abuse in Malaysia underscore the need for urgent interventions to protect animal welfare, the DVS said in a statement back then.

Unfortunately, not much has changed six months down the road.

In fact, judging from media reports, things have gotten worse.

The multiple and grisly killings of cats in Universiti Malaya were shocking, and even though the police attributed the incident to stray dogs, animal rights groups have contested this, pointing to post-mortem findings showing injuries from sharp objects.

This happened in December 2024 and last month.

At the same time, there have been multiple reports of canine abuse in different states.

From a professional badminton player in Kajang who beat his husky (he was fined RM25,000) to Wednesday’s case of a mechanic in Ipoh who was charged with abusing his dog, if anything, canines are arguably the most abused animal in this country.

Where is our compassion? Don’t we teach ethics as a module in school?

Something must be seriously wrong if the owners themselves abuse their pets.

Local councils have also been accused of arbitrarily culling strays.

Last year, the September shooting in Terengganu of a stray dog known affectionately as Kopi raised a firestorm of protests from animal rights groups.

An online petition was started and a rally involving nine NGOs was held as Malaysians demanded justice for Kopi.

The matter was even raised in Parliament when MPs in the Dewan Rakyat argued over the high-handedness of the Besut Council employees in carrying out the operation.

It was heartening to see former prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob wading into the debate.

“A review of the Animal Welfare Act 2015 should be conducted following reports of abuse involving stray animals,” he said.

Ismail Sabri, who is also MP for Bera in Pahang, expressed concern that local councils could have abused the Animal Welfare Act 2015 to justify their actions in shooting stray animals.

“Since the Animal Welfare Act was passed in Parliament in 2015, it binds local councils and others in enforcement. Even though they have by-laws, the Act takes precedence because it was enacted in Parliament, making it superior to by-laws.

“I hope that local councils will not use this as an excuse to indiscriminately shoot animals without reasonable justification as permitted by the DVS,” he said.

Lest we paint the local authorities as bad guys, we should also give credit when it’s due.

In this case, credit should be given to the Klang Royal City Council, which is planning to build a shelter for stray dogs at Pulau Indah in Port Klang.

Mayor Datuk Abd Hamid Hussain told The Star that the proposed shelter aims to remove dogs that are abandoned on the roads and house them “in a humane animal handling approach.”

“Our dog shelter, called Canine Housing and Neutering Centre, will be built on a 2.5ha land in Taman Perindustrian Pulau Indah. Dogs that are brought to the shelter will be neutered as it is the only method that will help mitigate the stray overpopulation and complaints of unlicensed canines,” he said.

Dealing with strays can oftentimes be an emotive and challenging task.

The local authorities and animal rights groups should work together to find solutions in this respect.

Strengthening and enforcing the Animal Welfare Act will also prove a deterrent to animal abusers.

Happy Valentine’s Day to all our readers. Whether you observe this celebration or not, let’s all show some love to strays.

Adopt, don’t shop.