MPS scraps controversial dog hunt
Andrew OngPublished: Sep 14, 2007 5:50 AM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 10:21 AM
The Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) has decided to call off a controversial dog-catching competition that has been heavily condemned by many animal lovers.
The Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) has decided to call off a controversial dog-catching competition that has been heavily condemned by many animal lovers.
The decision came about following a meeting between local government officials and four NGOs today, chaired by Rawang state assemblyperson Tang See Han.
Tang when contacted said the competition has been replaced by a long-term campaign to handle the problem of stray animals in the area.
"We're looking at amending by-laws to increase fines for pet dumping and also studying how we can implement a spaying and neutering clinic," said Tang.
He adds that MPS would be working closely with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), one of the four NGOs present during the meet today, to implement the campaign.
SPCA and three other NGOs held a protest within MPS' compound on Tuesday to protest against a dog-catching competition involving members of the public and a total cash prize of RM15,000 given out every six-months.
However, Tang said that the public would still be roped in to catch stray dogs, albeit without any form of financial incentives.
"They must be trained. We won't entertain any untrained individuals to get involved," he adds.
'MPS realised mistake'
Meanwhile, SPCA chairperson Christine Chin commended MPS for scrapping the competition and listening to suggestions from the public.
"We're happy that they realised their mistake and are proactive enough to look at long-term strategies that are effective and humane.
"Dog catching must not be seen as a fun or profitable activity. People must realise that the strays are not the problem, but a problem caused by people," she said.
Chin said the dedicated spaying clinic would be modeled after a similar clinic operated at the Kuala Lumpur City Hall dog pound in Setapak.
"It would much cheaper to perform spaying and neutering in such clinics as compared to private vets," she added.
Chin said MPS had expressed interest in utilising SPCA's expertise in the fields of dog catching, operating the dedicated spaying clinic and other matters.
The other NGOs at today's meeting were the Malaysian Association for Responsible Pet Ownership (Marpo), Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association (Petpositive) and the Malaysian Animal Rights and Welfare Association (Roar).
The decision came about following a meeting between local government officials and four NGOs today, chaired by Rawang state assemblyperson Tang See Han.
Tang when contacted said the competition has been replaced by a long-term campaign to handle the problem of stray animals in the area. "We're looking at amending by-laws to increase fines for pet dumping and also studying how we can implement a spaying and neutering clinic," said Tang.
He adds that MPS would be working closely with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), one of the four NGOs present during the meet today, to implement the campaign.
SPCA and three other NGOs held a protest within MPS' compound on Tuesday to protest against a dog-catching competition involving members of the public and a total cash prize of RM15,000 given out every six-months. However, Tang said that the public would still be roped in to catch stray dogs, albeit without any form of financial incentives.
"They must be trained. We won't entertain any untrained individuals to get involved," he adds.
'MPS realised mistake'
Meanwhile, SPCA chairperson Christine Chin commended MPS for scrapping the competition and listening to suggestions from the public.
"We're happy that they realised their mistake and are proactive enough to look at long-term strategies that are effective and humane.
"Dog catching must not be seen as a fun or profitable activity. People must realise that the strays are not the problem, but a problem caused by people," she said. Chin said the dedicated spaying clinic would be modeled after a similar clinic operated at the Kuala Lumpur City Hall dog pound in Setapak.
"It would much cheaper to perform spaying and neutering in such clinics as compared to private vets," she added.
Chin said MPS had expressed interest in utilising SPCA's expertise in the fields of dog catching, operating the dedicated spaying clinic and other matters.
The other NGOs at today's meeting were the Malaysian Association for Responsible Pet Ownership (Marpo), Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association (Petpositive) and the Malaysian Animal Rights and Welfare Association (Roar).
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