trigger happy enforcement in Malaysia

[Guest guest]

NO NEED FOR TRIGGER HAPPY ENFORCEMENT.

I am a directly affected party in the recent shooting of a young dog in my

compund. I live in the Veterinary Research Institute's institutional

bungalow with a perimeter fence and a reasonably large compound. Naturally

I free my dogs outside to answer the calls of nature. Apparently the

office had called the Ipoh City Hall enforcement unit to help in the control

of strays terrorising the sheep and goats in the designated places at the

back of the institute. The strays will definitely not be near the

residences, and they come out only at night.

 

It is commendable that the enforcement unit responded immediately. A team

consisting of six arrived at 8.30am on Feb. 1. However, instead of asking

the complainant for the place of the strays, the enforcement team falsely

concluded that any dog in the compound of the institute was a stray. Little

did they realise that the dogs could be pets. They shot my pedigree German

Shepherd/Golden Retriever (10 days short of her sevently month) named Lucie

twice, once in the throat and once in the abdomen.

 

Hearing the shots and its yelping, my wife and daughter rushed out and Lucie

collapsed in my wife's arms. On being informed I rushed back to the house.

I was in a state of shock. When I asked what happened, the head of the unit

loudly, defiantly and arrogantly shouted at me, " We have the instruction to

kill dogs. You can report to whomsoever you want, I don't care. " I

rushed Lucie to the veterinary clinic. In spite of the two shots Lucie did

not die immediately. She suffered, gasping for breath and died 45 minutes

later.

 

I would like to highlight another incident in Ipoh a couple of years ago.

Two strays in the canteen of a leading school were caught by the enforcement

unit, brought to the field and shot in front of hundreds of students and

teachers. The students and teachers just stared in disbelief and shock.

Just visualise the trauma in young minds. It is heartening to note that

the Datuk Bandar of Ipoh has taken personal interest in the case. We are

striving to be called a caring society. Incidents like these will relegate

us to a trigger-happy community.

 

In formulating the Animal Ordinance I feel the two major veterinary

institutions in Ipoh, viz. the Perak State Veterinary Services and the VRI

should be consulted. The rules and regulations stipulated in the current

ordinance are all in favour of the enforcers. One states a dog with a

licence but without the owner can be shot dead. In such cases would it not

be rational to catch the dog and place it in a pound for, say, about four

days. The owner would come looking for his/her animal at which time he/she

could be fined and asked to pay for the upkeep of the dog in the pound.

 

After this period the animal can be put to sleep in a humane manner i.e. by

lethal injection. If proprietary euthanasia drugs are expensive, a

saturated solution of magnesium sulphate can be used. The cost of this

chemical is a fraction of guns and bullets.

 

There are trained veterinary officers who will be willing to put dogs to

sleep in a humane manner. It is proposed that shooting be used only in the

control of ferocious and uncontrollable dogs.

 

The shooters should be trained. One shot should be enough. The animals

should not suffer and die. Lucie's tragic death should not be wasted.

 

Dr S. Chandrasekaran from Ipoh. The Straits Times of 9th Feb 2001.

 

 

Another letter on shooting of a pup.

No mercy shown in shooting of puppy. The Star 15.2.2001. by OUTRAGED JULIA

-Kuala Lumpur.

I read with horror your report, " Owner claims dog shot inside house

compound. "

My sympathy goes to teacher C. Navamoney whose pet puppy was killed by the

Ipoh city council's dog unit. The cruel and cold way the puppy was put down

should never be repeated. The council said it had every right to put the

dog down according to the Dog Licensing Bylaw 1987 which gives it the right

to shoot dogs outside the compound.

The puppy, however, was inside the compound and the council did not even

bother to apologise. The worst part of the tragedy was the council workers

shot the dog in the abdomen and the poor creature must have suffered great

pain before dying half an hour later.

Shooting a dog because of an ordinance is a regrettable, albeit legal, move.

However, killing it without mercy of a fast death is sheer cruelty,

bordering on stupidity.

 

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