While I agree with Low of the unregistered Peninsular Malaysian Movement to Object to the Disturbance of Neighbours' Dogs that rearing dogs may not be the culture of Chinese, I totally disagree with his other findings on dogs.
He claimed that dogs spread diseases. On this score, it is very unfair for him to single out this beautiful animal as the sole harbinger of diseases. What about the cats? Cats can spread diseases too including rabies, cowpox and ringworms. Cats, too, should be forbidden.
But as we know, diseases are more frequently spread by poultry rather than dogs nowadays. Low would do the community a better job by waging a campaign against bird-rearing.
As for noise pollution from barking dogs, it is a fact that humans create more noise than the poor dogs. Some of them switch on their TVs or stereo sets at full volume till the wee hours of the morning. They even rev their motorcycles in these early hours just to shatter the silence.
But dogs are more sensible in their barking. They do not bark for nothing. They only bark when there are intruders or to greet their masters. Low should also provide statistics on the number of people killed by dogs in Malaysia. It is very unfair to brand dogs as killers when there are no fatalities involved.
Shouldn't we list down the good things dogs have done for us? The number of lives they have saved at risk to their own? The number of break-ins they have prevented by their relentless barking? The companionship and security they provide our growing children?
Really, Low's argument against the rearing of dogs is without logic.