I refer to TV3’s ‘360 Degree’ programme on Feb 4. I am appalled that this kind of cruelty can be allowed to happen in our country using taxpayer's money. As a nation, we are not much different from barbarians, if we turn a blind eye to defenseless animals being tortured so mercilessly.

The visuals which were captured with a hidden camera showed a pound worker dragging a dying dog (not a dead dog) with a loop around its neck. To make matters worse, the ‘execution’ was watched by another terrified dog waiting in line for its turn to be killed.

In the programme, the two people who had brought the matter to the attention of the television station said the dogs’ necks were fractured and that cats were drowned or clobbered to death at the pound. How long has this been the practice at the Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s (DBKL) Setapak pound?

To my mind, any living being - be it a dog, a cat or a rat – is part of God’s creation and should not be made to meet death in such a brutal way.

There is an existing set of ‘Humane Management of Stray Animals Guidelines’ for all municipal councils in Malaysia issued by the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS). The basis of the guidelines are the Five Freedoms For Animals; covering aspects of catching, transportation, housing, and euthanasia.

Based on my limited knowledge, under the prescribed guidelines, municipal pounds must be manned by a permanent staff of properly-trained personnel and a permanent veterinarian that oversees the shelter, the condition of animals brought in and administers humane euthanasia. My questions to DBKL are as follow:

How many of the DBKL personnel are properly trained? The DBKL’s health department director Dr Zainol Ariffin Pawanchee had mentioned recently that the Setapak animal pound does not have a veterinarian to supervise the killing of the strays. Why is DBKL violating the existing guideline set by the DVS ?

We also hear that there are sufficient funds allocated by the government for the purchase of drugs for euthanasia, as confirmed by the DBKL health department director. If so, why bash up the animals or drown them mercilessly? Why make the animals suffer a slow and painful death? What is the use of the funds already allocated for euthanasia?

Is this some sort of sick, savage sport by DBKL workers? What about the guidelines covering the award of contract to bounty hunters? What is the basis for their selection and are there guidelines covering their activities?

The monetary incentive for setting up such a company is sinfully attractive, with many municipals reportedly paying them between RM30 - RM45 per dog. A number of cases had been reported in the press.

With the lucrative income at stake, it is tempting for these bounty hunters to resort to illegal means (as demonstrated by the reported cases) to lay their hands on the money. It is easy for these dog-catchers to use the excuse that the dog is not licensed, in order to try and justify their actions.

They just need to remove the license tag from the dog collars. What is there to stop them from flouting the law and break into homes, just to turn a quick profit? To stop these atrocities from happening, the task of nabbing strays should be given to non-profit NGOs such as the SPCA, so that we can be assured that animals are afforded their basic rights.

Having said that, what are the follow ups to the cases of dog-napping and maltreatment of strays? It has been months. Are the local councils as usual, still investigating whilst waiting for the news to die down (before the atrocity starts again)?

What are the outcomes of the investigations conducted by MBSA, MPSJ, Majlis Perbandaran Sepang and DBKL? How long will it take? A bit of accountability to the tax-paying public would be most gratifying.

We know that in this country, charges of animal abuse can be laid under the Criminal Code of Animal Ordinance 1953, which make it an offence to cause unnecessary pain, suffering or distress to an animal.

Under the current law, however, the punishment is a joke. Perpetrators walk away by paying a paltry fine of RM200. It is high time this law is amended to reflect the gravity of the offence in current times.

I wonder how we are to progress as a nation and proudly proclaim to be a caring Malaysian society when we have in our midst something so dreadful, so evil and satanic - the torment of animals that can barely defend themselves. Surely God did not create these animals for us to torture in such a heartless way.

Mahatma Gandhi said, ‘The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated’. I hope there is hope for us.

Note: There is a clip of the visuals captured by TV3's ‘360 Degree’ programme available on YouTube. This is accessible by Googling ‘DBKL animal cruelty’ on the Internet.