(MY) Dying to be Rescued: Appalling Horse Cruelty in Sabah

[Guest guest]

Scenes of starvation and death greeted tourists who signed up for horse

riding on the beach while enjoying their holiday in Sabah, Malaysia.

 

The tourists had visited the Melinsung ranch located 20 mins South of

Kota Kinabalu to sign up for the activity. What they found left them

sickened. Starving and weak horses, some unable to stand, were kept in

dirty paddocks and stables in and around the ranch. The horses had skin

diseases, open wounds and infected sores, and there were reports of many

dead and dying horses.

 

The tourists reported the distressing scenes to the World Society for

the Protection of Animals (WSPA) in June 2007. Photos of the sick

animals, posted on a forum in New Zealand, also reached WSPA, which

quickly contacted its member society, the Society for the Prevention of

Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), Selangor, based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to

pressure the authorities to do something about the situation.

 

The SPCA reported the problem to the Department of Veterinary Services

(DVS) in Sabah through the central DVS in Kuala Lumpur. The DVS enforces

Malaysia's animal protection law, and visited the horrific site in

June 2007 (and a follow up visit January 2008), and decided it would

simply monitor the case and work with the owner to improve the

conditions of the horses. The owner of the Ranch is -Dato'Abdul

Ghani Rashid - Sabah endurance strongman and ex-Mayor of Kota Kinabalu.

When the DVS visited the ranch in June there were 70 horses. Now latest

reports from SPCA Representative Sue Quek, state that " There are

only around 30 left and animals are still suffering and dying. "

 

The SPCA was hoping the horses would be confiscated, and offered its

help. But now SPCA officers say they're devastated nothing appears

to have been done, and the animals were apparently being offered for

sale.

 

Please see SPCA website for full story and details of who to contact to

voice your concern. I have been assisting SPCA Selangor with this case

for many months after my own office, WWF in Hong Kong, received

complaints from Hong Kong tourists who had also been upset by the cruel

treatment of these Malaysian horses. I am appalled that despite the

admission of cruelty by the Malaysian Authorities, they are not acting

to alleviate the horses situation. Animal welfare is not my usual line

of work (not directly!) and I would appreciate any advice on how one

progresses in a situation like this.

 

SPCA Website:

http://selangorspcaequine.org

 

For photos of some of these horses, see:

http://www.aapn.org/horseracing.html

[Guest guest]

For your attention, Mr. Surender. Perhaps, you might like to alert your

colleagues on the other side on this matter. If only tourists could stop

signing up for horse riding on the beach, this activity can be stopped. Lily.

 

-

lporter.hk08

aapn

Wednesday, February 20, 2008 6:34 PM

(MY) Dying to be Rescued: Appalling Horse Cruelty in Sabah

 

 

Scenes of starvation and death greeted tourists who signed up for horse

riding on the beach while enjoying their holiday in Sabah, Malaysia.

 

The tourists had visited the Melinsung ranch located 20 mins South of

Kota Kinabalu to sign up for the activity. What they found left them

sickened. Starving and weak horses, some unable to stand, were kept in

dirty paddocks and stables in and around the ranch. The horses had skin

diseases, open wounds and infected sores, and there were reports of many

dead and dying horses.

 

The tourists reported the distressing scenes to the World Society for

the Protection of Animals (WSPA) in June 2007. Photos of the sick

animals, posted on a forum in New Zealand, also reached WSPA, which

quickly contacted its member society, the Society for the Prevention of

Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), Selangor, based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to

pressure the authorities to do something about the situation.

 

The SPCA reported the problem to the Department of Veterinary Services

(DVS) in Sabah through the central DVS in Kuala Lumpur. The DVS enforces

Malaysia's animal protection law, and visited the horrific site in

June 2007 (and a follow up visit January 2008), and decided it would

simply monitor the case and work with the owner to improve the

conditions of the horses. The owner of the Ranch is -Dato'Abdul

Ghani Rashid - Sabah endurance strongman and ex-Mayor of Kota Kinabalu.

When the DVS visited the ranch in June there were 70 horses. Now latest

reports from SPCA Representative Sue Quek, state that " There are

only around 30 left and animals are still suffering and dying. "

 

The SPCA was hoping the horses would be confiscated, and offered its

help. But now SPCA officers say they're devastated nothing appears

to have been done, and the animals were apparently being offered for

sale.

 

Please see SPCA website for full story and details of who to contact to

voice your concern. I have been assisting SPCA Selangor with this case

for many months after my own office, WWF in Hong Kong, received

complaints from Hong Kong tourists who had also been upset by the cruel

treatment of these Malaysian horses. I am appalled that despite the

admission of cruelty by the Malaysian Authorities, they are not acting

to alleviate the horses situation. Animal welfare is not my usual line

of work (not directly!) and I would appreciate any advice on how one

progresses in a situation like this.

 

SPCA Website:

http://selangorspcaequine.org

 

For photos of some of these horses, see:

http://www.aapn.org/horseracing.html

[Guest guest]

Dear Lily,

The problem lies not in the tourist trade as this is not the reason

d'etre for the stables. The stables were privately established

specifically for Endurance Racing and its promotion as a national

sport in Malaysia. At the heart of this specific cruelty issue is the

authorities inability to deal with the situation. The authorities in

Malaysia have a relatively good track record dealing with animal

cruelty, in this case, however, the stable owner is a prominent

personage.

 

The immediate problem is this, 50-60 horses have died of starvation

already. Approximately 20 remain, how do we prevent more deaths in

the next few weeks? I urge readers to look at SPCA's website and

email the appropriate authorities with your support in confiscating

the surviving horses. We all know that, sometimes, only international

attention can encourage local action.

 

 

aapn , " SPCA Penang " <spcapg wrote:

>

> For your attention, Mr. Surender. Perhaps, you might like to alert

your colleagues on the other side on this matter. If only tourists

could stop signing up for horse riding on the beach, this activity

can be stopped. Lily.

>

> -

> lporter.hk08

> aapn

> Wednesday, February 20, 2008 6:34 PM

> (MY) Dying to be Rescued: Appalling Horse Cruelty

in Sabah

>

>

> Scenes of starvation and death greeted tourists who signed up for

horse

> riding on the beach while enjoying their holiday in Sabah, Malaysia.

>

> The tourists had visited the Melinsung ranch located 20 mins South

of

> Kota Kinabalu to sign up for the activity. What they found left them

> sickened. Starving and weak horses, some unable to stand, were kept

in

> dirty paddocks and stables in and around the ranch. The horses had

skin

> diseases, open wounds and infected sores, and there were reports of

many

> dead and dying horses.

>

> The tourists reported the distressing scenes to the World Society

for

> the Protection of Animals (WSPA) in June 2007. Photos of the sick

> animals, posted on a forum in New Zealand, also reached WSPA, which

> quickly contacted its member society, the Society for the

Prevention of

> Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), Selangor, based in Kuala Lumpur,

Malaysia to

> pressure the authorities to do something about the situation.

>

> The SPCA reported the problem to the Department of Veterinary

Services

> (DVS) in Sabah through the central DVS in Kuala Lumpur. The DVS

enforces

> Malaysia's animal protection law, and visited the horrific site in

> June 2007 (and a follow up visit January 2008), and decided it would

> simply monitor the case and work with the owner to improve the

> conditions of the horses. The owner of the Ranch is -Dato'Abdul

> Ghani Rashid - Sabah endurance strongman and ex-Mayor of Kota

Kinabalu.

> When the DVS visited the ranch in June there were 70 horses. Now

latest

> reports from SPCA Representative Sue Quek, state that " There are

> only around 30 left and animals are still suffering and dying. "

>

> The SPCA was hoping the horses would be confiscated, and offered its

> help. But now SPCA officers say they're devastated nothing appears

> to have been done, and the animals were apparently being offered for

> sale.

>

> Please see SPCA website for full story and details of who to

contact to

> voice your concern. I have been assisting SPCA Selangor with this

case

> for many months after my own office, WWF in Hong Kong, received

> complaints from Hong Kong tourists who had also been upset by the

cruel

> treatment of these Malaysian horses. I am appalled that despite the

> admission of cruelty by the Malaysian Authorities, they are not

acting

> to alleviate the horses situation. Animal welfare is not my usual

line

> of work (not directly!) and I would appreciate any advice on how one

> progresses in a situation like this.

>

> SPCA Website:

> http://selangorspcaequine.org

>

> For photos of some of these horses, see:

> http://www.aapn.org/horseracing.html

>