THERESA, WAYNE, WARREN, WALLACE, WENDY, WHITNEY, BRITNEY, BRINKY & SHIRLEY.
We hope to have photos/videos of GERALD (JERRY BOY), CAROL, MABEL (more photos/videos), NELLIE, OLGA, OSCAR, PRINCE, PAULA, PAMELA, RITA, ROSALIND & WESLEY soon.
PEGGY, NICKY, BEATRICE (BEATY), AUDREY, DENISE, MANDY, MONICA, JAMIE, MARILYN, ASHLEY, MABEL, GERALDINE (JERRY GIRL), VALERIE, CYNTHIA, CATHY, ANNIE, JEAN, ALICE, CHARLOTTE, CHARLIE, BLACKIE, BILLY, EVELYN, DENNIS, FELICIA, TIMOTHY & LUCY.
From "International Herald Tribune, Asia - Pacific"
"The Associated Press" article
Published: September 14, 2007
Malaysian town calls off controversial dog-catching competition after protests
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: A Malaysian town called off a dog-catching competition to rid the streets of strays following criticism from animal activists, an official said Friday.
Razif Zainol Abidin, an official of the Selayang Municipal Council, said it decided to stop the contest after activists — with dogs in tow — protested what they said was an inhumane and distasteful competition.
"We withdrew the competition this morning," Razif told The Associated Press. "We won't stop catching the dogs, but we will ask the NGOs to help us do it in a proper way."
Selayang town in central Selangor state launched the competition last week to alleviate the problem of strays, promising residents 20 ringgit (US$5.70; €4.20) for each dog delivered.
The council also planned to spend a total of 39,000 ringgit (US$11,120; €8,180) to build playgrounds or other projects for community associations that caught at least 150 dogs within six months.
Animal activists strongly condemned the plan as ineffective, and warned people might use violent tactics that could hurt the dogs, or be bitten while trying to catch them.
Razif said no dogs had been caught under the program.
Malaysia, a mostly Muslim country, has strict laws on dog ownership. Dogs are considered unclean in Islam, and most owners are from the minority ethnic Chinese and Indian communities.
Please watch the two videos below our profile on the right side bar and you may wish to consider not consuming pork, beef, chicken, and milk after watching the extreme cruelty inflicted on these poor animals.
From "Metro Central", "The Star" newspaper, Malaysia
Wednesday September 12, 2007
Stop this disgusting contest!
I read with horror an advertisement on the Selayang Municipal Council’s (MPS’s) website and reports in the newspapers about a Dog Catching Competition where lucrative prize money was being offered to individuals who could catch the most dogs!
The council is offering RM15,000 to the top dog catcher (with 150 dogs or more in a period of six months), and for those who do not make the top three prizes, it is offering RM20 per dog. This is really disgusting!
How could the council even come up with such an idea? The competition would only encourage more cruelty towards these helpless animals. (Bear in mind that these stray dogs that are on the streets are due to our own negligence.)
What shocked me even more was the fact that the council had openly stated that it would not be held responsible for any injury or damage caused by the individuals to the general public or themselves in their attempts to catch these stray dogs.
The only requirement was that dogs that are caught be brought in alive.
This, in my opinion, would only encourage the would-be dog catchers to physically harm the dogs prior to taking them in to the council. The council does not seem to care for the welfare of the dogs that are brought in, as there was no statement anywhere in its advertisement stating that the dogs that are caught must be caught in a humane manner.
Moreover, I also believe that this competition would actually encourage people who are out to make easy money to steal dogs!
I think that the actions of the MPS in organising such a competition are not just irresponsible, but downright barbaric.
I would like to plead to the government and the authorities to look into this matter and stop this campaign immediately. Malaysia should be a nation that cares for all living creatures, and I believe that all religions teach us to be kind to all of God’s creatures.
There are other ways and means to curb the stray population in this country. Several groups and organi-sations, like the SPCA and PAWS, are working hard to educate the public via spay and neuter campaigns.
If we let the MPS get away with its barbaric dog catching competition, we are only reinforcing in the people the belief that cruelty is an acceptable way of life.
And, I sincerely believe that Malaysians do not want to be seen by the world as a nation that sanctions cruelty to animals.
I also urge all individuals not to take part in the competition in order to preserve our integrity as decent human beings.
YVONNE DENG
Selayang
From "Nation", "The Star" newspaper, Malaysia
Saturday September 1, 2007
Reimpose export ban on macaque, urges animal rights groups
By HILARY CHIEW
KUALA LUMPUR: Animal rights groups have opposed Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid’s decision to lift the 23-year-old export ban on the long-tailed macaque.
The groups come under the umbrella body, the Malaysian Animal Rights and Welfare
Society (Roar). President N. Surendran said lifting the ban was tantamount to condemning the monkeys to an insufferable fate.
“It is shocking that the authorities themselves are committing the offence. The minister is aware that the monkeys are used as pets and for food and medical (testing) purposes.
“In the food trade, the monkeys have their skulls pried open while alive, so diners can eat their brains,” Surendran claimed.
Under Section 92(f) of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, anyone who “wilfully does or wilfully omits to do anything which in any way causes any unnecessary suffering, pain or discomfort to any wild animal or wild bird” can be fined up to RM5,000, or sentenced to up to three years in jail.
On Aug 17, Azmi announced that the ban had been lifted, and now the group is demanding that the ban be reimposed.
Surendran also questioned the minister’s claim that sterilisation efforts to control the macaque population have failed, hence justifying the trading of this protected species.
“As far as we know, there has been no serious sterilisation programme of the long-tailed macaque. Even if it was true that some displaced monkeys have attacked urbanites, exporting them is not the solution.”
Selangor Society for the Prevention of Cruelty Against Animals chairman Christine Chin called for better management of the human-animal conflict caused by man encroaching on the habitat of the macaques.
She also urged the authorities to look into creating sanctuaries for wildlife to achieve sustainable development.
From "Opinions", "The Star" newspaper, Malaysia
Monday August 27, 2007
Restore the ban on monkey trading
THE recent decision by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to lift the ban on monkey trading comes as a shock to all Malaysians who are concerned for our wildlife and abhor cruelty towards animals.
These poor animals are to be seized from their habitats and sold abroad where many will be slaughtered for the pot and for medical research.
The reason the ministry gave for its decision is that this is the only way to overcome primate overpopulation.
But what about humane culling? Surely it is immoral and callous to make money out of selling monkeys.
To make things worse, the ministry will be encouraging the trade in exotic wildlife in Malaysia and in the region.
Once the supply of “legitimate” macaques from Malaysia runs out, restaurants overseas serving exotic meat will surely turn to illegal traders in our country to satisfy the lucrative demand for monkey meat.
This will lead to a huge increase in illegal hunting of macaques in our jungles.
Another reason cited by ministry officials is that there have been incidences of monkey attacks on humans in urban areas. No empirical data was given as to the frequency of such attacks. In fact, one rarely hears of such attacks.
In any event, mass capture and slaughter of wildlife is surely a disproportionate reaction to infrequent monkey attacks.
It should also not be forgotten that indiscriminate development and human encroachment into monkey habitats is the real cause of these attacks.
As a species, monkeys are quite similar to humans, both at a genetic and behavioural level.
I hope the minister concerned will restore the ban on monkey trading.
Any other course of action will shame this country in the eyes of the world and subject our macaques to a terrible fate.
N. SURENDRAN,
Kuala Lumpur.
Article in "The Sun" newspaper, Malaysia
Tue, 11 Sep 2007
Animal lovers protest against contest
By: Llew-Ann Phang
KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 11, 2007): A group of 30 animal lovers from several organisations marched to the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) today to loudly
protest against the council’s dog-catching competition which is offering RM15,000 as the first prize to residents committees.
Representatives from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), Malaysian Animal Rights and Welfare Association, Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association (PetPositive) and the Coalition of Animal Lovers chanted "Stop the hunt!" and held up posters to get their message through.
MPS enforcement officers stood on guard at the main entrance of the MPS tower, while the group led by SPCA chairwoman Christina Chin, the Coalition’s Natasha Valerie Fernz and PetPositive president Anthony Thanasayan marched in, with DAP’s Ronnie Liu and N. Surendran in tow.
They wanted to hand over a joint memorandum to MPS president Zainal Abidin Azim but he was on leave.
MPS assistant public relations officer Helda Syima Abu Talab met the group with some colleagues, including officers from the enforcement unit, but the group asked instead to see the health and municipal services director.
The crowd’s patience was further tested by a Selayang resident who spoke aloud about the lack of concern for dog-bitten victims, and defended throwing stones at stray dogs, saying these dogs threatened people.
Amid this, animal groomer Nuraini Rozaiti Mahamud, 35, stole the show with her Mix.fm life-size cardboard cutouts of radio DJs Ika, Serena C and Pietro in one hand, and her Australian silky terrier Phoebe in the other.
Nuraini said she would allocate some of the RM50,000 prize money – if she won the Mix.fm competition that ends on Friday (Sept 14) – to animal shelters, and treat orphans to a kenduri, besides pursuing her studies in animal psychiatry in Australia.
She waved off concerns that she would get into trouble if a picture of her and Phoebe was published, saying she did not neglect her Islamic obligations of samak (washing with mud), and found it an easier task with the taharah soap (made of mud) found in traditional Malay medicinal shops.
An MPS assistant administration officer finally persuaded the group to hand over their memorandum to Helda because the health and municipal services director was in a meeting.
The memorandum states that stray animals were a result of irresponsible owners who dumped and abandoned their pets or owned pets that were not neutered.
Together, the organisations called for:
an immediate end to the dog-catching competition;
implementation of highly effective neutering initiatives;
fines against irresponsible pet owners who dump and abandon their pets;
implementation of smart, humane and effective legislation to promote responsible pet ownership; and
education and publicity campaigns to promote responsible pet ownership.
Helda declined comment, saying the MPS president would be the best person to speak on the matter.
From "Letters" to "The Sun" newspaper, Malaysia
Wed, 12 Sep 2007
21st century dog treatment
I am shocked that the Selayang Municipal Council hands out prize money to residents who hunt down homeless dogs. The global community is disgusted by this greed-inspired campaign.
Animal abuse and death will occur in the frenzy to capture over 150 dogs within six months for cash prizes. Reactive mass round-ups do little to curb stray populations or prevent disease outbreak. Please implement non-violent solutions that include public access to low-cost rabies treatment, humane education, and "Spay/Neuter/Vaccinate/ Release" programmes.
Communities that offer low-cost sterilisation of companion animals see a significant reduction in stray numbers. Please foster a culture of responsible guardianship and humane education in keeping with 21st century animal welfare principles.
The real world has learned that animals of all kinds have the same feelings as humans do.
Barbara B. Hunter
Florida
