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Looking for answers: Dr Zainol Ariffin (right) being confronted by the angry crowd at the pound.Disturbing sight: A protestor taking pictures of one of the pits where the carcasses were dumped.

Monday February 9, 2009

Shocking find as animal lovers protest at pound

By WANI MUTHIAH

THEY had gone to the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) animal pound in Setapak to protest against the alleged brutal killing of dogs and cats there but animal activists were not prepared for what they stumbled upon in the vicinity of the premises.

Thrown into uncovered pits, about six feet in both width and depth, were the rotting carcasses of dogs that had been killed at the pound.

“We cannot tolerate such cruelty and are totally against it,’’ said Rosnah Hassan, who burst into tears after seeing the graves.

Elaine Kong added that a better method should be used to terminate the lives of strays as well as dispose of their remains.

The crowd had gathered at the pound in reaction to the visuals shown over the TV3 programme 360° last Wednesday night.

The visuals, which were captured by a hidden camera, showed a pound worker dragging a dying dog with a loop around its neck whilst another terrified dog watched the ‘execution’ as it waited for its turn.

DBKL health department director Dr Zainol Ariffin Pawanchee who was at the pound to meet the protesters was bombarded with questions by the angry crowd.

The 360° programme anchor Mazidul Akmal Sidek, who was also there, told Dr Zainol Ariffin that the visuals showed the dog still breathing when being yanked around by the neck.

Dr Zainol Ariffin, who neither denied nor admitted to the mishap, apologised to the crowd for the trauma they had undergone after watching the visuals.

He said the dogs were caught and brought to the pound by two private companies which were paid RM30 per dog captured.

He added euthanising the dogs and disposing of the carcasses were carried out by DBKL employees.

Meanwhile, Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Ahmad Fuad Ismail said he had asked Dr Zainol Ariffin to explain the matter to him.

“Apparently, the landfills have refused to take the carcasses and we don’t have an incinerator as it is very expensive,’’ Ahmad Fuad said.

He added that he would look into the matter as he wanted dogs to be caught, euthanised and buried according to the guidelines provided.

Besides holding placards which condemned the alleged brutal killings, the 50-odd activists also lit candles outside the pound in remembrance of all the animals killed there.

They also adopted four dogs and seven puppies from the pound after paying a nominal compound.

The gathering was initiated by non-profit organisation Community Development and Integration Initiative’s (CDII) canine welfare project Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better.

For details please visit: http://malaysiandogsdeservebetter.blogspot.com/.