Education to inculcate respect for animals

VETERINARY Services Department (DVS) director-general Datuk Dr Quaza Nizamuddin Hassan Nizam has gone on record as saying that the department will introduce guidelines on the proper treatment of animals to be used in schools and universities this year in its effort to strengthen animal welfare.

According to Dr Quaza, the aim of this move is to ensure that animals used in teaching are handled as humanely as possible. The guidelines are in the drafting stage and are expected to be finalised this year.

I welcome the efforts by the DVS to engage the Education Ministry to include an animal welfare module into our education system to inculcate love and compassion for animals among children and youths.

This is very essential to create a generation of Malaysians who care for animals and respect animal welfare.

Over the years, numerous acts of cruelty have been committed by heartless people on animals, particularly strays.

Recently, another case of animal cruelty was reported in Shah Alam. This time, it was a stray dog that was brutally killed and eaten.

The act was caught on camera by two witnesses who were out feeding strays when they saw a group of men brutally hitting a stray dog on the head with a parang and a piece of wood. The dog was later thrown into a fire and cooked. This is totally inhuman and barbaric, to say the least.

But why is animal abuse and cruelty to animals still rampant? If we can respect human life, why can’t we do the same with animals? If we treasure the life of human beings, why can’t we treasure the life of animals too, instead of abusing and torturing them for our own pleasure?

Although Malaysians would rather forget the horrifying photos and reports of cruelty to animals that have become commonplace in our social media feed, it would be heartless to ignore the reality of what’s happening.

From the poisoning of endangered elephants to the inhumane killing of unwanted strays, the evidence is clear that Malaysians need to step up efforts to protect our animals. If we don’t, we will see more of these sickening cases of unchecked cruelty.

Animal abuse must receive more stringent penalties, which should include heavier fines and impris- onment. The current fine meted out is too small to deter animal abuse.

The Animal Welfare Act 2015 was implemented to promote responsible welfare and ownership of animals. With the enactment of the Act, Malaysia would be at par with member countries of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) such as India, New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom. This law is meant to send a message to people not to abuse or ill-treat animals.

Now that legislation is in place, we need to focus on proper enforcement. The police and local councils must find the resources to enforce this law.

We also need to consider other cruel activities such as poaching and illegal trade of wildlife on social media. Poaching is a threat to rhinos, elephants, pangolins, tigers and other species that are on the edge of extinction across the world.

The Animal Welfare Act regulates offences related to animals, such as animal cruelty, and is administered by the Department of Veterinary Services. The Act provides the framework for standards for the care and use of animals that achieves a reasonable balance between the welfare of animals and that of their owners.

The Act also has a range of enforcement powers to promote and monitor acceptable standards of care and to protect animals from cruelty or welfare offences.

Education programmes are needed to offer us answers to those questions that have been puzzling us, such as, “What would you do to stop animal abuse?”

American journalist and non-fiction writer John Grogan once said: “Such short little lives our pets have to spend with us, and they spend most of it waiting for us to come home each day. It is amazing how much love and laughter they bring into our lives and even how much closer we become with each other because of them.”

This quote truly describes how animals become an indispensable partner in our lives. They are like human beings. They have souls and provide unconditional love to us; they bring laughter and add colour to our life. Whenever we are bored, their presence will definitely keep us entertained.