If you see any pet abuse - pls call this number.
Animal Shelter & Admin Dept: 03-4256 5312/ 4253 5179 (8.30am - 4pm Daily)
Public Relations Dept & Inspectorate: 03-4253 5312 (10am – 6.30pm Daily)
Following a report by a concerned citizen last week, SPCA Selangor rescued a community dog from Section 17 in Petaling Jaya, in a shocking case of cruelty towards animals.
The old black dog had lived on the same street for approximately ten years and was fed and cared for by the residents. A concerned neighbour had reported that a man who lived on the same street had tied up the dog to his car and dragged it along the street. SPCA Selangor responded by dispatching the Animal Inspectorate team to the location where the dog was last seen. What awaited them was a heart-wrenching sight – there was a trail of blood on the street, and the scared, injured dog was spotted inside the house compound of the man that had earlier dragged it along the street. Unable to coax the dog out of the compound and without the authority to remove the dog from inside the premises, the Inspectors alerted the Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya (MBPJ) officers and requested for their assistance. The house owner was nowhere to be seen as neighbours reported that he had run away, and after two days the dog was successfully rescued by the Inspectors as it ran out of the house.
Upon closer examination by the vet, it was found that the dog suffered from wounds on his paws, chin and abdomen. Even though it had been through a traumatizing ordeal, the trusting dog allowed the vets and SPCA staff to handle and treat him without protest. “This is such a horrific case of intentional cruelty towards animals, and we hope that this person will be found and made to answer for his cruel act,” comments SPCA Selangor’s Chief Inspector Cunera Kimlon. The case has already been forwarded to the MBPJ and the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) for their further action. After treatment at a private vet, the dog is currently recovering in the SPCA Selangor office while the Inspectors and concerned neighbours decide where to rehome the dog – now affectionately referred to as ‘Blackie’.
“It’s deeply disturbing to know that such someone had intentionally inflicted such pain and misery on a helpless animal, society cannot tolerate such senseless cruelty,” says SPCA Chairperson Christine Chin. “Please don’t close one eye or have a ‘tidak apa’ attitude towards animal abuse. Today it’s a dog, tomorrow they may target a child if you let them get away with it,” she continues.
Chin urges the Government to take a pro-active stance on the prevention of cruelty to animals by passing effective legislation – by significantly increasing the fine from a paltry RM200 to RM 10,000 with jail time of at least 6 months, imposing a lifetime ban on pet ownership on those found guilty of animal abuse, and in urging the public to be responsible pet owners by spaying/neutering their pets, providing adequate food, space, exercise, love and medical attention and in being considerate neighbours. The organisation would also like the Government to make abandonment of animals an offence, as the shelter receives numerous reports of animals abandoned in various locations- from vacant houses, markets, food-courts and highways to right outside the SPCA Selangor shelter gates.
“We urge the Government to impose effective deterrents against animal cruelty and to take action against these perpetrators of cruelty against defenseless animals,” says Chin. “A compassionate nation that cares for its animals is also a nation that will care for its people,” she continues. Thousands of animal lovers around the country wait with hope for laws that will better protect the local animals in light of the slew of animal abuse cases that had surfaced in the media recently.
The SPCA acts as the nation’s watchdog on animal welfare issues and operates a hotline for the public to lodge reports against owners that abuse, neglect or abandon their pets, as well as reports of homeless animals in distress. The organisation would like to extend their heart-felt gratitude to all the individuals who have been calling in to report cases of animal abuse or neglect.