Expose the vile animal abusers
IWOULD like to comment on a recent NST report on animal cruelty. The case involved a woman in Penang, who was fined RM30,000 for abusing her two dogs last year, leading to the death of one of the dogs.
Thisbrings someimportantissues to the forefront. Even though stringent legislation exists, cruelty against animals still persists.
Accordingtothemedia,therewere 662 reported cases of animal abuse two years ago. Prior to that, there were 510 cases in 2017 and 463 cases in 2016.
But,thesestatistics areonly thetip of the iceberg. There are many more cases that go unreported.
Offendershavebeenfinedatotalof RM15,000in2017,andayearlater,the sum increased to RM71,200.
If enforcement was stringent and public awareness more widespread, the number of offenders would have been much lower.
The Animal Welfare Act ensures that those caught treating animals cruelly are punished for their acts. But, there are many who fall through the cracks.
It is time for the authorities to double enforcement efforts. If manpower is the problem, we should
recruit more animal welfare officers who have compassion and want to ensure proper treatment of animals.
Every case of animal cruelty must
be investigated and prosecuted. Fines must commensurate with the offences committed. This will send a message that animal cruelty will
not be tolerated.
Theremustalsobegreatereffortto raise public awareness of the need to protect animals. It is not unusual to see dogs being badly treated in housing estates. But, they are notreported becauseneighboursdonotwishtoget involved.
Perhapsweshouldintroducesome form of incentive or ensure anonymity for those who report such cases so that more people will be encouraged to be vigilant.
Humansmistreatanimalsbecause they fail to control their emotions, and some do it for sadistic pleasure.
Makenomistake,animalsare part of our community, whether as pets, strays and even those in the wild.
We all need to pursue a noble and much-needed cause — which is giving voice andrepresentation to voiceless animals.
Any form of cruelty against stray animals must not be tolerated, and the relevant authorities must put a stop to the ill-treatment of animals using the Animal Welfare Act.
Animal lovers can do their part by adopting unwanted animals and help provide a shelter for them. The public should also be reminded that owning pets is a huge responsibility and they need to treat their animals with love and care.