By An Animal Lover
I wish to highlight a gross contradiction in the way stray animals are being treated in different states.
On one hand, there are states that are concerned about the welfare of animals and are making attempts to help and control strays.
On the other, as it happens, in my hometown, stray animals are being killed with impunity, and in the presence of children.
FMT recently highlighted the Selangor royal family, including Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah and Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin, launching campaign, Stray Free Selangor – The Humane and Compassionate Way.
It was reported that the campaign aimed to educate the public on humane and compassionate ways of treating stray animals, encourage spaying or neutering, and providing shelter for strays.
I came across another piece of news in FMT and elsewhere about 24-year-old Norashikin Ahmad, who had set up an animal shelter in Alor Gajah, Malacca, to save stray cats and dogs.
She cares for some 150 cats and 50 dogs, despite ostracism from the community.
A video on Norashikin also included an interview with International Islamic University Malaysia lecturer Dr Mazlee Malik, who said religion exhorted that mercy and compassion should be the foremost consideration when dealing with stray animals, and forbade killing.
But alas! In my hometown, Muar, Johor, stray dogs are being killed with blatant disregard for the suffering of the animals and the feelings of residents, including children.
I have seen this with my own eyes. Many other residents have witnessed it too.
Dogs are caught with nets and given a fatal injection amid loud howling and screaming.
This slaughter is done before the very eyes of shocked young children and women.
I asked the men why they were doing it, and one replied, “Kasi dia tidur” (to put them to sleep).
What sort of lessons are we teaching our children?? What emotional trauma will they have to bear for the rest of their lives?
My wife threw up upon seeing this dastardly, despicable act of cruelty. It took her days to recover from the trauma of watching the men kill the strays, which were loving and harmless and had never hurt a single resident in my housing estate.
If the killings affect an adult so much emotionally, what more young children?
The killing of strays has been going on for years, yet the problem has not been solved.
It is time to adopt a more humane way of controlling the population of stray animals.
I hope the Johor government will allow local authorities to set up animal shelters where these animals are neutered and spayed instead of killed.
I am sure the public will come forward to lend a helping hand and money.
Killing not only violates the Animal Welfare Act 2015, but goes against the teaching of all religions.
An Animal Lover is an FMT reader.
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