Fatal dog attacks - hold owners accountable
Helen ChanPublished: Jan 13, 2011 10:49 AM | Updated: Jan 13, 2011 10:52 AM
In light of the recent fatal dog-attack at a farm in Penang, SPCA Selangor feels that dog owners must always be responsible for the well-being and behaviour of their pets.
SPCA chairman Christine Chin wishes to extend the organisation’s heart-felt condolences to Maurice Sullivan's loved ones. This is an isolated case albeit a terribly tragic one, and she hopes this will not lead to a sudden wave of ill-feeling or hate towards dogs across Malaysia.
“Dogs are generally very sociable companion animals and they are hyper-social and hypersensitive. They love companionship and they innately understand their master’s habits and behaviour and tone of voice,” says Chin.
Over the centuries, humans have trained dogs to protect and guard their homes, property and livestock. Beside this, many dogs have been trained to assist the blind and disabled in going about their daily lives and provide much needed companionship for the marginalised.
Chin adds, “However, some dogs are specifically trained to protect their owner’s property and these dogs are trained to attack intruders that enter their territory. Generally these dogs become very fierce either as a result of the harsh training or restraining them in small cages/kennels and therefore have very little contact with other human beings other than their carers. It is usually us humans that inflict these frustrations on these dogs to the extent that they turn this frustration into rage and will become aggressive in nature.”
Taking away the dogs from the owner does not resolve the issue at large. It is having the adequate knowledge on how to be a responsible owner that will bring a solution to the issues that we face. Dogs are animals nonetheless, loving or otherwise, and we need to be mindful that it is us humans that are ultimately responsible for their actions.
The SPCA acts as the nation’s watchdog on animal welfare issues and operates a hotline for the public to lodge reports against owners that abuse, neglect or abandon their pets, as well as reports of homeless animals in distress. The organization would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to all the individuals who have been calling in to report cases of animal abuse or neglect.
Helen Chan is marcom manager of SPCA Selangor.
SPCA chairman Christine Chin wishes to extend the organisation’s heart-felt condolences to Maurice Sullivan's loved ones. This is an isolated case albeit a terribly tragic one, and she hopes this will not lead to a sudden wave of ill-feeling or hate towards dogs across Malaysia.
“Dogs are generally very sociable companion animals and they are hyper-social and hypersensitive. They love companionship and they innately understand their master’s habits and behaviour and tone of voice,” says Chin.
Over the centuries, humans have trained dogs to protect and guard their homes, property and livestock. Beside this, many dogs have been trained to assist the blind and disabled in going about their daily lives and provide much needed companionship for the marginalised.
Chin adds, “However, some dogs are specifically trained to protect their owner’s property and these dogs are trained to attack intruders that enter their territory. Generally these dogs become very fierce either as a result of the harsh training or restraining them in small cages/kennels and therefore have very little contact with other human beings other than their carers. It is usually us humans that inflict these frustrations on these dogs to the extent that they turn this frustration into rage and will become aggressive in nature.”
Taking away the dogs from the owner does not resolve the issue at large. It is having the adequate knowledge on how to be a responsible owner that will bring a solution to the issues that we face. Dogs are animals nonetheless, loving or otherwise, and we need to be mindful that it is us humans that are ultimately responsible for their actions.
The SPCA acts as the nation’s watchdog on animal welfare issues and operates a hotline for the public to lodge reports against owners that abuse, neglect or abandon their pets, as well as reports of homeless animals in distress. The organization would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to all the individuals who have been calling in to report cases of animal abuse or neglect.
Helen Chan is marcom manager of SPCA Selangor.
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