In THE STAR

http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2010/3/2/central/5749888&sec=central

Tuesday March 2, 2010

Dogs in misery


THE Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) is facing the heat over its dog pound.

News of the terrible condition of the pound and the dogs housed there has spread and many animal lovers are aghast.

The pound is definitely not fit to house the animals.


Fenced up: The Selayang dog pound.

Caretakers have been neglecting their duties and have left the animals to suffer.

Since Monday, volunteers from various non-governmental organisations have visited the pound to do what they can for the dogs.

They brought items like food, bowls and brooms.

A spokesman from canine welfare project Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better (MDDB) said some of the dogs had already starved to death.

“They don’t feed the dogs properly or the right food. At some cells, plain rice is simply thrown in.

“The drinking water is kept in big old pails but the puppies are too small to reach the top and drink,” she added.

The spokesman also added that MPS staff had even gone to the extent of catching a dog in the toilet of a shop owned by the storekeeper.

“The staff said that according to the local authority’s by-laws, they can either compound the owner or seize the dog. They chose to seize the dog on the spot.

“When asked the reason for taking the dog away, the staff said that it ws because the owner could not afford to pay the fine of RM1,000.”

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Selangor honorary chairman Christine Chin said the council had refused help extended by them.

“The council has a heartless and arrogant attitude. We want to provide food and disinfectant for the dogs in their pound but we have been rejected many times. We are not even allowed to see the pound.”

“The pound should be deloused and the cages disinfected daily. No dog should die of tick fever while in the pound and if they do die, it shows how ignorant the staff at the pound are in taking care of the animals.”

At a meeting between MPS and concerned non-governmental organisations, MPS councillor Gunarajah R. George said the method of rounding up strays in the future had been agreed upon.

“Workers from the pound are not allowed to seize dogs immediately. Instead, they have to issue a notice to the owner first.”

The staff were also not allowed to enter the owner’s premises without permission to seize an animal, said Gunarajah.

“If the animal has no licence, a compound would be issued and the owner advised to obtain the licence.”

“Food, water and the cleanliness of the cage will also be looked into,” he said.

MDDB and the SPCA urged the authorities to adopt the stray catching methods from Singapore and Indonesia where the animals are vaccinated and spayed.