Get involved, report abuse

Abused: Poodles rescued from a home suspected of being used for animal breeding where dogs were kept in bad conditions. Don’t buy pets, rescue them from shelters to end such abusive breeding practices. — Filepic/The Star

THE most recent case of animal cruelty reported in the media of a woman fined RM30,000 for abusing two dogs brings to the forefront the fact that despite the existence of stringent legislation, acts of cruelty against animals still persist (“Admin clerk pleads guilty to animal cruelty”; online at bit.ly/star_cruel).

According to the media, there were 662 reported cases of animal abuse in 2018; in 2017, there were 510 cases and in 2016,463. But these statistics are only the tip of the iceberg. There are many more cases that go unreported or undetected throughout the length and breadth of the nation. If enforcement was more stringent and public awareness more widespread, the number of offenders would be much higher.