I refer to the malaysiakini report Council under fire for dog-catching competition.

I read with horror that the Selayang Municipal Council for a dog-catching competition where money is being offered to individuals who could catch the most dogs. How could the council even come up with such an idea? Which half-sane or decent human being thought of this?

What shocked me even more was the fact that the council has openly stated that it will not be held responsible for any injury or damage caused by the individuals to the general public or themselves in their attempts to catch these stray dogs.

The only requirement was that these dogs that are caught be brought in alive. This, in my opinion, would only encourage the would-be dog catchers to physically harm the dogs prior to taking them to the council.

The council does not seem to care for the welfare of the dogs that are brought in as there was no statement anywhere in their advertisement stating that the dogs that are caught must be caught in a humane manner. Other than this, I also believe that this competition would actually encourage people who are out to make easy money to steal dogs.

I think the action of the Selayang Municipal Council in organising such a competition is not just irresponsible, but down right barbaric. I would like to call upon all individuals to speak up against the Selayang Municipal Council for organising this barbaric competition. I also urge all individuals to not take part in the competition in order to preserve our integrity as decent human beings. I would also like to warn all dog owners to please keep an eye on their pets.

The government and the authorities should look into this matter and stop this campaign immediately. We should be a nation that cares for all living creatures, and I believe that all religions, including Islam, teaches us to be kind to all of God's creatures. There are other ways and means to curb the stray population in this country.

A number of groups and organisations like the SPCA and PAWS are working hard to educate the public via spay and neuter campaigns. If we let the Selayang Municipal Council get away with their barbaric competition, we are only encouraging cruelty to be an acceptable way of life.