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melmel
K9 Maniac

Mar 18, 2010, 9:04 PM

Post #126 of 175 (66137 views)
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Malaysiakini :

I am writing because of a grievous incident that took place on Monday, March 15 at about 3pm at Kepong Central KTM Station. My friends and I (six of us) were there to take the train to the Bank Negara station.

After parking our cars, we heard a dog howling, more like a painful cry. Then, we noticed a dog being tied to the grill (steel fence) of the KTM station. As we approached the dog, we stood aghast at the sight.

The stray dog's leg and neck was tied very tightly to the grill and a piece of wood had been shoved down inside its throat! The dog was bleeding and its feces were all around it. The string was attached to a pole in the KTM station.

Immediately, we confronted the KTM workers. They said that it was done by Kuala Lumpur City Hall workers because a minister was to be visiting the station next week. They failed to explain further.

At once, we called the SPCA and the Paws animal welfare society. The SPCA responded efficiently by informing us that an animal control officer would be there soon. We made a slight commotion in front of the KTM station but the KTM workers were not concerned at all.

After about an hour, as we were returning to the KTM Kepong Central Station, we received a call from the SPCA officer stating that the dog was now not tied up and was moving around. When we arrived, the dog was limping. The same KTM workers avoided us as we tried to confront them. A passer-by told us that the dog has been that way for quite some time.

The SPCA officer could not capture the dog as it walked away for quite a distance. He advised us to write to the media and to the SPCA as well.

Doenn't our country's animal rights support the idea that an animal has the right to live its life without being harmed and hurt by humans? We realize that people define the meaning of animal rights and abuse in different ways but aren't the citizens of our country merciful? This dog could have been just put to sleep if it had been harming the public or causing a nuisance. Why stick a wooden stick down its throat?

melmel
K9 Maniac

Mar 19, 2010, 8:33 PM

Post #127 of 175 (66112 views)
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Malay Mail :
Mar 2010

Datuk Dr Ahmad Suhaimi Omar - dogs for human consumptionLocalVeterinary Services Department (DVS)

PETALING JAYA: Despite public furore, Veterinary Services Department (DVS) deputy directorgeneral, Datuk Dr Ahmad Suhaimi Omar, is sticking by his suggestion last week that stray dogs held at pounds be sold for human consumption �� as a method of stray management.

While acknowledging it was a "sensitive" statement, the DVS deputy DG in charge of veterinary health, told The Malay Mail his words were unnecessarily 'sensationalised'. He insisted that the suggestion would create a "win-win" situation, explaining that stray dogs captured are now kept for seven days �� and humanely euthanised if the dogs remained unclaimed after the week. "Once the dog is caught and nobody claims it, what do you suggest we do? If people want to consume (dogs), why not let them?

"We have to pay for euthanasia as it has to be done professionally by a veterinarian. In any case, who are we to euthanise any animal?" posed Dr Ahmad. If the slaughter of an animal is for the purpose of consumption, Dr Ahmad argued that "in principle, most religions would basically allow the slaughter". Still, he pointed out that he was not asking people to just eat dog meat. He argued that foreigners like the Vietnamese and Koreans consume dog meat; and understood this was a sensitive issue for Malaysian culture and standards.

"We should not impose our values onto others. If you cannot eat dog meat, you cannot stop me from taking it. Like pork, for example. I cannot eat it but I cannot stop you from eating it. "This is how we have been able to live harmoniously in Malaysia. We have to be open. It is an individual decision, if others want to eat it, it is up to them."

Stating he was merely throwing in the idea, he told The Paper That Cares: "I knew it was sensitive, I purposely said it. It was high time to say it. The NGOs are all against it and I know the dog is a pet to most of us." Even a farmer, who has raised his cattle lovingly would not be willing to eat the animal when slaughtered, he noted.

"I do stress that if the dogs are to be slaughtered, it must then be done properly and there should be no cruelty at all." Dr Ahmad also claimed that while there were a few people who objected to his suggestion at the forum on effective animal pound management, organised by the Petaling Jaya Municipal Council Canine Advisory Team on March 2, he felt the body language of many there suggested they were "excited" by his words.

The suggestion to sell caught stray dogs for consumption will help ease the system and reduce the council's problem. Let this be a lesson to pet owners to not let their dogs stray. It is a matter of responsible pet ownership. We have to educate pet owners, but this will take a long time."

Howling in horror over statements

CHIN: Labels Dr Ahmad's suggestion 'barbaric'

KUALA LUMPUR: Animal lovers are up in arms over the suggestion by Veterinary Services Department's (DVS) top man condoning the slaughter of stray dogs for human consumption.

Describing the suggestion as barbaric, the Selangor Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) is now demanding that DVS deputy director-general (veterinary health) Datuk Dr Ahmad Suhaimi Omar, retract this suggestion.

Visibly upset, SPCA chaiman Christine Chin told The Malay Mail that SPCA was extremely disappointed with Dr Ahmad��s suggestion �� especially in view of his position as the ��number two or three person in DVS, who should be promoting humane, sustainable, effective and acceptable solutions to the stray problem".

��He is not a nobody,�� Chin pointed out. "As a possible DVS director-general candidate, he is supposed to be protecting the animals. "He is in charge of prosecuting people who are cruel to animals.��

While she felt Dr Ahmad did make some good suggestions during the March 2 forum on effective animal pound management, Chin described the dog meat suggestion as having thrown DVS back to the dark ages and undermined every bit of good DVS had ever done, especially in drafting its 2008 guidelines on humane dog-catching methods.

Stating that Dr Ahmad's suggestion was "barbaric, inhumane, provocative, unbelievable and incredulous", she said: ��We are a society that doesn��t eat dogs. It is not a custom in Malaysia.

"Even in China, animal lovers have banded together to seek legal amendments to ban the consumption of dogs and cats. In Taiwan, it is illegal. What about cats?��

Meanwhile, Malaysian animalassisted therapy society for the disabled and elderly (Petpositive) president, Anthony Thanasayan, described Dr Ahmad��s suggestion as ��misplaced and terribly insensitive.��

THANASAYAN: Dogs are life savers .He said the suggestion only reflected how out of touch DVS was.��That he thinks dogs are only good as food on the table shows what he thinks of the role animals have been playing in our society, especially today.

��Dr Ahmad must remember that if a building falls down and he gets caught in the rubble, it is not a chicken that will come to save him. He would have to rely on the dog he suggests we eat.�� He said dogs are loving and play a positive role such as saving people��s lives and helping those in need of therapy.

Noting sarcastically that Dr Ahmad may have felt he was being clever, Thanasayan said the suggestion was purely a cerebral statement and not from the heart. ��Whatever he was trying or hoping to do, it did not work�� he might as well ask us to eat our children.�� Thanasayan also pointed out that dogs from the pounds often carried disease and no one would want to or should eat such meat.

melmel
K9 Maniac

Mar 19, 2010, 8:46 PM

Post #128 of 175 (66106 views)
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MDDB Notice Board :

What's going on.........

Just when we thought we can take a short break from advocacy and update our supporters about our rescue work - this crops up. We are shocked and appalled that human beings can actually resort to such cruelty. The letter says the six young people were told that the dog had been tied-up like that for quite a while - didn't it kick the conscience of the people who had passed by? Our rescuer friend Miza Nordin says she will go an look for the dog this evening as it definetely needs medical attention. The stick has also been identified as the pole used by council dog catchers. So, there must be truth that the dog was tied in that position by DBKL workers. We called KTM and its public relations officer Fazil said he too was shocked with the pictures. He has asked for emails to be directed to him and said he would redirect them all to the KTMB president. So people, its back to pushing for justice again.

KTMB - write to:

fazil@ktmb.com.my
Fazil - 03- 22631106

DEWAN BANDARAYA

DATUK BANDAR KUALA LUMPUR
Y. Bhg. Datuk Seri Ahmad Fuad Bin Ismail
Datuk Bandar Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 603-2617 9070
datukbandar@dbkl.gov.my

En. Mohamad Salleh bin Abdullah
Pegawai Khas I Datuk Bandar
Tel: 603-2617 9075

En. Md Aznan bin Md. Zain
Pegawai Khas II Datuk Bandar
Tel: 603-2617 9066

DBKL's man in charge of dog catching

Dr. Zainol Ariffin bin Pawanchee
603-2027 5301

Aduan DBKL:

03-2617 9925
03-2617 9936
dbkl@dbkl.gov.my

Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Ministry (Under which DBKL falls)

Minister
YB. Dato' Raja Nong Chik
bin Dato' Raja Zainal Abidin
rnc@kwp.gov.my
03-88897878

Roslima bt. Muhammad
Pembantu Khas Menteri
roslima@@kwp.gov.my

Zainor binti Mohd Nor
Pembantu Tadbir (Kesetiausahaan) Menteri
zainor@kwp.gov.my

Shazril Fariza bin Faridam
Setiausaha Sulit Kanan
shazril@kwp.gov.my

Deputy Minister

YB. Datuk M. Saravanan
Timbalan Menteri Wilayah Persekutuan
Dan Kesejahteraan Bandar
03-88897998
saravanan@kwp.gov.my

Suria Kumar a/l Subramaniam
Setiausaha Sulit Kanan Timbalan Menteri
03-88897997
sooria@kwp.gov.my

Deputy Minister in charge of public complaints at the Prime Minister's Department

Datuk T. Murugiah
murugiah@pmo.gov.my

PUBLIC COMPLAINTS BUREAU - PRIME MINISTER'S DEPARTMENT MALAYSIA - You can make online complaints
www.pcb.gov.my/
apps1.pcb.gov.my/eApps/bpaiad....do?aplCode=en

melmel
K9 Maniac

Mar 20, 2010, 10:05 PM

Post #129 of 175 (66089 views)
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stray dog's leg and neck was tied very tightly to the grill and a piece of wood had been shoved down inside its throat! The dog was bleeding and its feces were all around it. The string was attached to a pole in the KTM station. - Kepong, KL

Action by MDDB :
Our rescuer friend Miza Nordin says she will go an look for the dog this evening as it definetely needs medical attention.

Action by DVS :
We have arraged for the inspection at the said site in fact yesterday by our Kuala Lumpur DVS Enforcement Team.

We could not locate the said dog after we made some enquiries from the surrouding people. We believed the said dog is a stray dog and had been released by the public.

As we hv not been able to establish any thing in the said location, we therefore conclude this case as NFA (No Further Action) unless new evidence can be surfaced or received by the DVS. In future, you are advised to contact the nearest DVS Enforcement office as soon as possible to report any incident of cruelty to animals for effective enforcement action (we need evidence to act against the culprit).

Once again thank you, your concern for the welfare of animals is greatly appreciated by DVS.

Mr Soh
DVS

Action by PETA :
Hello and thank you for reporting this horrific incident to PETA. Are you able to try to locate this poor dog? If somebody can contain him, we are happy to pay to get him some medical care immediately

Stephanie
PETA

(This post was edited by melmel on Mar 20, 2010, 10:30 PM)

melmel
K9 Maniac

Mar 21, 2010, 8:42 PM

Post #130 of 175 (66073 views)
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MDDB Notice Board :

STATEMENT FROM KTMB
20 Mac 2010

to : malaysiandogsdeservebetter

KTM BERHAD��S RESPONSE ON MALAYSIAKINI��S ARTICLE ON THE CAPTURE AND TORTURE OF STRAY DOG AT KTM KOMUTER KEPONG SENTRAL STATION

The complaint letter by M.Nisha (Ghastly animal abuse at Kepong KTM Station) in Malaysiakini dated 17 March 2010 is referred. KTM Berhad undoubtedly agrees that animal cruelty is not an acceptable behavior by any sane individual. It is uncivilized and intolerable by any religion and race in the world.

As reported, KTM Berhad has confirmed that the incident took place at KTM Komuter Kepong Sentral Station.

For your information, KTM Berhad, represented by a group of its senior officers, had conducted an investigation and went to see the staff at the said station to get more information as well as to visit the location of the incident. Essentially, the unpleasant incident had nothing to do with Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL) or any of its employees. The name of the organisation was quoted indirectly when our counter clerk, who was not really aware of the incident, was asked about the situation. The clerk answered on impulse when he said that the dog was ��perhaps�� captured and strapped by the officers from DBKL.

Even though his remarks was said by mistake, we are sorry for that he should have had investigated the situation before providing any statement. KTM Berhad is deeply sorry for the situation and would like to apologise to DBKL. It was not our intention to smear the image of DBKL with the incident. We hope DBKL is willing to accept our sincere apology.

With regards to the incident on 15 March 2010, the stray dog was captured by the staff of KTM Berhad with the help from our janitors who work at the station. For your information, the dog has been roaming the station for almost two years, and during that period, KTM Berhad had lodged more than three reports to Majlis Perbandaran Selayang (MPS) via telephone, with the final report made one day before the dog was captured, which was on 14 March 2010.

The necessity to catch the dog was made due to its troubling behavior whereby it had attacked and bitten our passengers at the parking area as well as in front of the KTM Komuter Kepong Sentral Station ticketing counter. However, the attacks and bites did not inflict any serious injuries so far. The last attack was reported on the evening after it was released which involved one Vietnamese passenger. Aside from that, we also found its feces around the platform area and during rainy seasons, the dog posed an inconvenience for the Muslim passengers especially, as its wet fur might touch them.

The decision to capture the dog was made due to the operation requirement, not because of the minister visit as per quoted by our staff. The dog was caught at round 12.00 noon and released at 1.30 pm. According to the staff we investigated, the piece of wood which was claimed shoved into his throat was not true. They did tie the dog to the fence. However, they did not shove the wood into its throat with the intention to torture or inflict injury to the animal. The wood, which was seen in its mouth, was the bait used when they were trying to catch it and the dog kept biting on the end of it. The staff tried to remove it from its jaw but it clamped the wood shut, we only managed to remove it after the second try.

The dog was released because we did not receive any confirmation from MPS to collect the animal. As reported, the dog was still straying around the area after it had been released.

I hope the general public should also appreciate the effort taken by the KTMB staff to address this recurring nuisance towards our KTM Commuter passengers whose patronage and peace has been disturbed by this stray dog.(Dear All, KTMB requests the public to appreciate their cruelty act & say TQ to them) Whilst, we do recognize the method, in this instance, was questionable, it was done purely for the sake and comfort of our passengers. There was no intent of being cruel or to torture the stray dog. Our priority is for the safety and well-being of our passengers.

We will make sure that there will be no similar incident to take place. We have identified more efficient alternatives in handling stray dogs/wild animals, which is by contacting the SPCA and the local authorities to solve the problem at other stations as well.

We do not condone animal cruelty, what more to be a part of the brutality. However, I think the public should also evaluate the original intention it was meant to and not to quickly jump to condemn the method use without understanding the sequence of events. I am sure, all of us, when bitten by a mosquito, will hit it instantly without much thought. Is that considered as cruelty to insects? I know for a fact that, some time ago, when the crows [gagak] cause serious unhealthy situation in Klang, a campaign was mounted to shoot down the crows in a big way when their presence became intolerable. Is there some other way of doing it?

We truly hope that the explanation given is clear and we hope that the incident does not reflect the organisation in general.

Thank you.

Dr Aminuddin Adnan
aminuddin@ktmb.com.my
President
KTMB

melmel
K9 Maniac

Mar 23, 2010, 9:59 PM

Post #131 of 175 (66026 views)
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Malaysiakini :
Mar 2010

Of doggone stick-y savagery

I refer to the letter Ghastly animal abuse at Kepong KTM station.

Man, I can assure you, is a nasty creature. He demands, he deceives, he destroys. And since the beginning of civilisation, he's been propagating this veni, vidi, vici behaviour ubiquitously. In the latest episode of the 'Malaysia, Truly Beastly' series, this brutish barbarism has yet again been exposed extravagantly.

The above letter revealed a shackled dog with a mouthful of stick! Yes! A stick! To my surprise, I wasn't surprised. With the butchery of babies, the crushing of civil rights and legislation on lexicon, it seems almost natural to fetter a dog to a fence and feed it some timber.

Also not blood-curdling shocking is the complete and absolute show of apathy by those who bared witness to this gruesome scene. Save for the benevolent individuals who made the frantic report, a howling and hemorrhaging living being seemed to not bother the vast commuting commuters that day.

It was after all just a dog. A fang-filled, diseased-ridden, faeces-producing, oxygen-stealing dog. Its eventual death would be a mere kitchen matter to these folk.

So what has become of this country, one might ask. Are its people as heartless as this incident suggests? Or are we as Allah-fearing as we piously proclaim? All religions, mind you, preach custodianship of the world we inhabit; a world that includes animals.

But it is shamefully clear that while we human beings are religiously taken up with heavenly fooleries, we continually treat our animals like hell. We doggedly refuse to concern ourselves with something as pedestrian as the welfare of the animals in our 'custody'.

We would much rather train them for our sadistic amusement; slaughter them for our gastronomical indulgence and subject them to torture for our 'security'. Hence, as is with most animal cruelty cases in this country, the chorus of outrage will begin, torrential tears will be wept and animal activism will be re-awakened.

And with a modicum of luck, these Malaysian mindset-manufactured monsters will get a verbal walloping. But justice will not be served for this poor dog. One must be delusional to believe otherwise.

The circumstances surrounding the stick-shoving, shackling and subsequent release of the dog still elude me. But what has become damningly apparent is that Malaysia needs a fresh soul.

by Shenaaz - a Muslim

(This post was edited by melmel on Mar 23, 2010, 10:21 PM)

melmel
K9 Maniac

Mar 24, 2010, 5:30 PM

Post #132 of 175 (66015 views)
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MDDB Notice Board :

HE HAS BEEN FOUND

The dog which was tortured by the KTMB staff has been found. Thanks to the sharp eyes of SPCA's Murugan who spotted the dog at the Selayang Pound. We sent our friend Erica Chum to the pound and she waited for Selayang councillor Gunaraj George to gain entry.

SPCA was also there but was not allowed in by Evil Ernie. It took a good scolding by Gunaraj who also called her boss Dr Dr. Razif Zainol Abidin - 012-2252240, razif@mps.gov.my to tell him off! We think that they were feeding the dogs and getting the place clean before letting these people in.
So has anything changed at the Selayang pound? We think not other than the fact that four workers have been transferred out but the biggest culprit Evil Ernie is still there.

By right its this woman who has both shamed and humiliated the Selayang Municipal Council that should have been transferred. Coming back to the dog, the SPCA, which came there to collect a mother dog and three puppies, agreed that MDDB take the KTMB dog as we are looking into initiating legal action against KTMB.

Apparently, the dog catchers who had gone to the train station to capture the dog told Gunaraj they had been called umpteen times after Nisha's letter in Malaysiakini had created a ruckus. The dog had not wandered very far from the station, probably due to injuries and fear, when the Selayang catchers found it.

Therefore the KTMB people were lying through their teeth when they said the dog had wandered off. They had tried to get rid of the evidence by harassing the Selayang people to come and get the dog as soon as Nisha's letter was out.

We are now looking at initiating legal action against KTMB and have individuals who have come forward to be named as plaintiffs. We also have some young lawyers who have offered to initiate the legal action for free. We think we would also simultaneously initiate legal action against the Selayang pound for cruelty. Those who want to be a part of this please contact us as soon as possible.

P/S So Mr SOH of DVS, we have the evidence now - will you take any action against the culprits

The hungry and thirsty dog at MDDB's hideout

After being removed from the pound

Being transported to secret destination

Gunaraj screaming his head off to Razif over the phone to be allowed in

The dog being tortured at the KTM station

Inhuman act

Read more: malaysiandogsdeservebetter.blogspot.com/#ixzz0j3KwcwgT

melmel
K9 Maniac

Mar 25, 2010, 10:25 PM

Post #133 of 175 (65993 views)
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a) DVS just replied me tat tey wld consider 2 take legal action.

b) Prime Minister office YB Senator Tuan Murugiah feedback tat KTM President assured PM office tat tey won't repeat this cruelty act on any dog in future!

c) Thks to PETA on their concern on tis cruelty case

(This post was edited by melmel on Mar 25, 2010, 10:41 PM)

melmel
K9 Maniac

Mar 26, 2010, 12:04 AM

Post #134 of 175 (65989 views)
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25th March 2010

Prime Minister Office
Bangunan Perdana Putra
Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan
62505 Putrajaya
Malaysia

Attn : a) Yang Mulia (YM)Tengku Adnin Tengku Adnan,
b) Yang Berhormat (YB) Senator Tuan Murugiah,

RE : Dog - Wood Shoved Down Throat, Leg & Neck Tied Tight 2 Pole by KTM Station Staff, Malaysia
YB & YM replies on the above matter are noted with thanks.

We appreciate YB & YM quick response in handling the complain regarding the above mentioned cruelty. Please note that after the unpleasant incident took placed in KTM Kepond Station, KTM President Dr Aminuddin Adnan has made a statement which is truly disgusting (as per attached below). In his statement, he has confirmed that the cruelty was took place at KTM Komuter Kepong Sentral Station. However, he defended that he has helped the public in eliminating a nuisance (herein referred to the abused dog) . Worse still, he urged the public to appreciate his staff's cruelty act.

Kindly take nota that he is not a nobody, but a respectable high ranking government servant in which our tax money goes to his salary ! His statement not only discredits him, but also shows that he is a heartless human. Instead of conducting an investigation on the animal cruelty case and punished his staff who is at fault, he chosed to pledge his support in order to cover them.

For YB & YM information, after the wide explosure of this extreme cruelty case in the major press, animal blog, animal forum, as well as world wide web, many readers, bloggers including Muslim condemn his staff's cruelty act on the poor dog. (please refer to the below appended acticle in Malaysiakini by a Muslim). Moreover, it has drawn the attention of international animal welfare group - PETA. Dr Aminuddin Adnan should ashame of his unprofessional manner in dealing with public complain. It is inevitably that his department staff has committed a criminal under Section 43 of The Animal Act 1953 (revised 2006).

Lastly, we would like to reiterate that if his staff has gone against the law, the punishment has to be upon them. In this case, we are sorry to reiterate that Dr Aminuddin Adnan management skill and leadership are questionable.

Thank you

Yours faithfully
Justice for 1Malaysia

cc : All Animal Welfare Group
Yang Bahagia Dato. Abd Aziz- Director General of DVS

(This post was edited by melmel on Mar 26, 2010, 12:06 AM)

melmel
K9 Maniac

Mar 26, 2010, 5:32 PM

Post #135 of 175 (65962 views)
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Dear All,
Pls speak out 4 d abused KTM dog, sign d petition below :

www.thepetitionsite.com/1/str...ng-ktm-station

melmel
K9 Maniac

Mar 28, 2010, 10:41 PM

Post #136 of 175 (65843 views)
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Reply from DVS :

Chief Enforcement Officer in Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur (HQ in Putrajaya had given instruction to her to handle the case )

melmel
K9 Maniac

Apr 3, 2010, 9:29 PM

Post #137 of 175 (65605 views)
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MPS President Yang Dipertua Dato' Zainal Step in - MPS Dog Pound
2nd Apr Pet+ Newsflash

You can now expect to witness a significant difference in how the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) treats animals and issues related to them within its vicinity. The first of the big changes can be seen as early as next month.

MPS will be the setting up a special committee to deal with issues of dogs and other animals under its care. This decision was reached this afternoon at a special inaugural meeting at the MPS headquarters in Menara MPS in Bandar Baru Selayang. It was chaired by the Yang DiPertua of MPS, Dato Zainal Abidin Azim.

Two municipal councillors Mr Gunarajah George and Dr Ramli Jusoh (a retired veterinarian) were also present at the meeting. They were selected to head the special committee. The others there were made up of Dr Razif Zainol Abidin, Head of Health and Licensing.

Representatives also included the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) in Gombak, Selangor and Putrajaya. Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya (MBPJ) and Majlis Perbandaran Klang (MPK)'s Canine Advisory Team Chairman and President of PET+ Anthony Thanasayan was also at the meeting. Thanasayan received a special invitation by the Selayang Council.

He told PET+BLOGSPOT that he was also asked to attend the meeting by Dr Xavier Jayakumar who has been following developments in the various pounds in Selangor with keen interest. Dr Jayakumar is the Chairman of Health, Plantation Workers, The Poor and Caring Government in the state of Selangor.

A number of positive changes that residents in Selayang - and its animals can expect - once after the formation of the committee is as follows:

a) Special training in dog-catching to be coordinated by Dr Jayakumar's office. Help will also come from the DVS and MBPJ's canine-catching unit.

b) Skills training in pound management from the abovementioned sources and MPK.

c) gradual change of all outside staff to full MPS personnel in canine management and put-downs. The latter will be done with full supervision by trained veterinarians, including visiting vets.

d) Education programmes for dog owners on responsible pet ownership (RPO) which includes humane caring for pets and consideration for non pet lovers in the neighbourhood.

e) Spay and neuter campaigns.

f) Dog day events that are specifically organised by MPS.

Other issues to be explored at future meetings are trap, neuter and release programmes for stray dogs and cats, dog parks, legislation to promote RPO. The Committee decided that NGOs can also play a role in the meetings. However, invitations will be sent out to them as and when their help is needed.

(This post was edited by melmel on Apr 3, 2010, 9:46 PM)

melmel
K9 Maniac

Apr 5, 2010, 9:23 PM

Post #138 of 175 (65543 views)
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Animal-testing centre to be set up in Malaysia

Apr 2010 Malay Mail

FULLY INTEGRATED: The new multi-million biotechnology centre in Malacca will feature several animal testing laboratories �� Filepic

KUALA LUMPUR: A RM450 million deal has been signed between a large Indian biotechnology company and State government-owned Melaka Biotech Holdings Sdn Bhd this year. The State will soon see three animal-experimentation laboratories set up in Rembia in Alor Gajah.

The primate, small animals and canine-testing laboratories will be part of a one-stop fully-integrated biotechnology centre for the development, testing and manufacturing of medicines.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Malacca Biotech, Indian Biotechnology firm Vivo BioTech Limited and Vanguard Creative Technologies Sdn Bhd on Jan 21 in India. A joint-venture company, Vivo Bio Tech (M) Sdn Bhd was set up to facilitate this multi billion ringgit project, in which India's Vivo BioTech would hold majority equity, followed by Vanguard Creative and Melaka Biotech.

The MoU was inked in New Delhi by representatives of Vivo BioTech and Vanguard as well as by Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam, witnessed by Najib.

But as yet, no notice or application of permit has been made with the Peninsular Malaysia Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) and the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS).

Mohd Ali told The Malay Mail that the company was in the process of submitting building plans for the facilities to the Alor Gajah Municipal Council.

On the unease of animal welfare groups over the use of animals for experiments, the chief minister gave the assurance the State government would monitor the situation once the centre is set up and operational.

Meanwhile, Vivo Bio Tech (Malaysia) director Datuk Kuna Sittampalam stated that the proposed fully integrated biotechnology centre was still in its "early days" as the company has yet to submit building plans to the local council.

"There will be three phases in the construction. Phase one will be the animal-testing facilities while the second and third phases will encompass the biotech facilities," said Sittampalam.

He said the company will be importing Beagles from Holland for tests requiring canines, and most probably white mice for the small animal laboratory. He wasn��t sure where they will get the primates from, "Most will be obtained locally, but if we are not allowed, then we will look overseas.

"This is a US$50 billion (RM170 billion) industry and Malaysia wants to be a part of this," said Sittampalam.

Not all tests can be replicated using human tissue culture in place of animals, he said, and explained that animal-testing is a small segment of the whole biotechnology process and people must look at the "bigger picture".

Unfortunately, he added, a biotechnology centre must have testing in order to be deemed fully-integrated. There must be the full sequence of drug development, testing and manufacturing, "so the picture is complete".

Growing protest of welfare groups
KUALA LUMPUR: News that a new biotechnology facility equipped with canine, primate and small animaltesting laboratories would soon be set up in Malacca has received opposition from local and international animal welfare NGOs who urge the government to step away from animal experimentation and testing. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) chairman, Christine Chin said SPCA opposes the construction of any animaltesting laboratory. "There are so many duplication of tests in many areas, in which scientists use human tissue or stem cell tissue instead of using animals," she said, adding that animal-testing does not even provide complete and accurate data or results. She feels Malaysia should concentrate on refining testing using human tissue from stem cell initiatives instead of embarking on controversial businesses that use animals for tests.
"I understand that certain pharmaceutical testing requires animals and we must accept a certain amount of animal-testing unfortunately. But we must begin to move towards alternative techniques," she said.

"Malaysia should not open the economy to businesses like this as it promotes cruelty." Sahabat Alam Malaysia (Sam) was also disappointed with the news of the laboratories, stating that no animal-testing in any form should be allowed in this country. Its president S. M. Mohamed Idris also urged the use of human tissue cultures in place of "animals specially bred and killed for this purpose". "They need to assess the justification for using animals in experiments and carry out a meaningful evaluation on the harm these animals will endure," said Idris. He also questioned whether the biotechnology company gave any thought to the welfare of the animals it was bringing in, such as how they will be housed and destroyed after the experiments were carried out. "Is there an ethics committee set up to look into this and ensure the animals do not suffer before and during the experiments?" he asked.
UK-based British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (Buav) has also expressed concern over the news of the planned laboratories.

Its special projects director Sarah Kite told The Malay Mail: "The outsourcing of animal-testing to countries where restrictions may be more lax is a worrying development. This appears to be the case in Malaysia as we understand there is no legislation governing the use of animals in research or testing. Even with legislation, however, the suffering that will be inflicted on the animals used is immoral and unacceptable." She said Buav was also concerned as to the source of the primates to be used in tests at this facility, questioning whether the facility will be allowed to use Malaysia's own indigenous population of long-tailed macaques. "We urge the people of Malaysia to not allow itself to be part of an industry that inflicts such great pain and suffering on animals," said Kite.

Perhilitan and DVS in the dark
KUALA LUMPUR: Neither the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) nor the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) have officially heard about the planned biotechnology centre in Rembia, Malacca.

Perhilitan deputy directorgeneral Misliah Mohamad Basir said this was the first time she had heard of such a deal and that she can, to date, "confirm" that no one has approached Perhilitan to obtain a license for bringing in primates to the laboratory. "They must refer to us (Perhilitan) for licensing as primates are a protected species. This is a big issue. We will have to refer the matter to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment," she said.

Misliah also said that since there are no guidelines or policy on animal testing, Perhilitan will draft new guidelines for the of testing on animals under Perhilitan's jurisdiction if the Ministry were to approve such applications. DVS deputy director-general (veterinary health) Datuk Dr Ahmad Suhaimi Omar also stated he was not aware of the biotechnology centre in Rembia.

Currently, only a permit from DVS is needed if it involves the import of animals. ��For us, it is only the import of animals that will be of concern to us, but who has the authority to say yes or no to testing?" he asked, adding that the law (Animal Act 1953) contains legislation only on cruelty towards animals.

Tests a benefit to mankind
KUALA LUMPUR: On the other side of the spectrum, Laboratory Animal Science Association of Malaysia (Lasam) said animal-testing or experiment facilities in Malaysia had been around for a long time. Lasam president Dr Abdul Rahim Mutalib said:

"Animal-testing or experiments are part and parcel of research and development in medical, veterinary and biomedical sciences. Animals are used as living models in studies to answer pertinent questions regarding a problem or problems that affect man (or other animals species). We cannot use human subjects anyway. The results will eventually benefit humans in the end. "The animal is a complete living system in which many types of responses can be elicited either simultaneously or in a series over a period of time. No in-vitro system, be it computer simulation, cell or organ culture system, can replace the animal." He said once a researcher has developed a product meant for humans, he or she must also prove that it will not have any deleterious effect on humans.

As soon as a product is created, he said, the progression of testing would be first in an in-vitro system such as tissue, cell or organ culture, followed by in an in-vivo system such as in small mammals including rats, mice, guinea pigs, rabbits and even fish. Lastly, testing would be conducted on higher mammals such as dogs, and monkeys which are models for humans. "The best type of animals that they should use are those that are purpose-bred. You must not use pet dogs or pound dogs or those caught from the wild, as in the case of monkeys, as these animals' health status are not defined," said Dr Abdul Rahim.

"If you use these types of animals, it is likely that your results will not be valid because there are so many variables. Just like when we do experiments in the laboratory, we must use the highest-quality chemicals and the cleanest of glassware so that our results will be true results." Dr Abdul Rahim, however, stressed that experiments conducted on the animals must take into account their welfare before, during and after the procedures, and if there is pain, it must be minimised. "The research must be ethical and the benefit must outweigh the pain or suffering the animals undergo," he said. Thus, he suggested that a local committee called the Animal Ethics Committee (AEC) or the Animal Care and Use Committee (ACUC) must be set up to screen or evaluate any research proposal that needs to use animals

melmel
K9 Maniac

Apr 5, 2010, 11:16 PM

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MDDB Notice Board :

UPDATE ON KTM DOG

Dear people,

sorry for the delay in updates. Have been busy taking care of some puppies down with distemper and parvo. Anyway, the KTM dog, that we have named KTM, is doing well and getting over his fear of people. He has a hearty appetite and this is a good sign. We have are also currently working on what we plan to do next in order to seek justice for KTM. We will keep everyone updated. Meanwhile, here are some pictures.

BTW Mr Soh of the DVS called and said that they want to take action but we would have to surrender the dog to them. What do you all think? Should we surrender vthe dog to DVS to allow them to see of they can take action or should we pursue the matter on our own? Feedback please. (feedback on d comment column of MDDB blog) :

malaysiandogsdeservebetter.blogspot.com/

(This post was edited by melmel on Apr 5, 2010, 11:17 PM)

melmel
K9 Maniac

Apr 10, 2010, 12:48 AM

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MDDB Notice Board :

MDDB will be holding its monthly adoption drive this Sunday. We still have the Selayang and Klang puppies for adoption in addition to those rescued off the streets. Among the pups and dogs available for adoption this Sunday are three out of the four mange brothers from the Puchong pound. The mange brother with the worst skin condition was adopted last month. We were very touched when the family, which adopted him, selected the puppy that was that had the worst skin condition amongs all the puppies there. Their contention was that they were there to help us by giving one of the rescued puppies a home and the best way to do that would be to take the one that needed help the most. He is now much better with his hair growing back. Hopefully more people like this familiy would come to our adoption drive this Sunday.

Date: Sunday, April 11
Venue: Summit Subang Jaya, near the Starbucks enterance.
Time: 11.00am to 7.00pm
Details: 019-3576477, 012-3739007, 017-2081844

our finances are in the red again - and when we say red - we mean dark dark red. We owe a lot of vets money and have also used up our resources to pay for medicines and vitamins for our rescued puppies and dogs. We also need to pay our rental, utilities as well as helpers' allowance. The Klang and Selayang puppies, especially, took-up most of our resources as most of them had been very very ill.

Here what we need money for.

1) This old girl, now named Shriya, was found wailing and crying, in a car park in Subang Jaya. She was rescued by a motorist who had parked her car there and handed over to us. She is under the care of one of our fosterers and was recently diagnosed with failing kidneys. We need to put her on prescription food and kidney supplements which are both very expensive. Shriya is about 8 years old.

2) Senior White, Ms Husky and Forrest are still at the vets because they are not completely well. They have been there from the day of the rescue and we reckon their treatment and boarding is going to cost us. We have already paid the vet partially for the other pups admitted there including Ebony who had to undergo a blood transfusion.

3) Rolex too is at the same vet and he apparently has other healh issues including veneral disease. The treatment for that is quite expensive and we have to raise money for that as well.

3) Remember Lester? He too is still admitted at the vet's for various other problems and we reckon that he is going to cost us thousands as his treatment was extensive. The vet says he is having tick fever and cannot put on weight eventhough he eats a lot. 4) We have no picture here but a old male dog was rescued in Section 19, Subang Jaya and admitted at Mayo Clinic in Taipan. We owe the vet about RM1,400 for heartworm treatment, vaccination, castration and boarding. He has since been sent to the Furry Friend's Farm.

5) We still have our pups who have either been rescued from the pounds or off the streets that are suffering from either distemper, parvo or demodex that are still with us. In addition to that we also have several mother dogs awaiting neutering. Please help us raise some funds. Details are as follows:

Cheques in favour of:

Community Development and Integration Initiative Bhd (654290-T)

and mail it to:

c/o No 48, Jalan Jeriji U8/75C, Bukit Jelutong, 40150, Shah Alam, Selangor.

Or bank into:

Community Development and Integration Initiative Bhd

Public Bank Account Number: 3151793708.

Read more: malaysiandogsdeservebetter.blogspot.com/#ixzz0kahPSpWI

melmel
K9 Maniac

Apr 14, 2010, 9:25 PM

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Live from Summit Subang - MDDB Adoption Drive- by Star Online TV

thestaronline.tv/v/5449

melmel
K9 Maniac

Apr 20, 2010, 10:04 PM

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Local councils among the biggest abusers

Star Apr 2010

MUNICIPAL dog pounds are the biggest animal abusers in the country according to animal rights lawyer N. Surendran.

He said workers contracted to manage the pounds and catch strays were not trained to care for the animals and were only interested in catching the dogs for money. ��The way the dogs are caught and, eventually, put down shows that they have no care for the dogs and lack empathy,�� he said.

In the dark: Chin said the SPCA still did not know how some of the pounds put the strays down. SPCA chairman Christine Chin also added that dog catchers were not qualified to handle the strays.

According to her, there is also no humane management at the pounds where the dogs are housed. Council dog catchers have been criticised for the rough methods used to snare the strays and questions have been asked on how the local authority goes about recruiting these people and what kind of training is provided for them to manage the pounds.

��The trucks and vans used to keep them are totally inappropriate and are against the VSD Code of Good Animal Husbandry practices. ��Also, we are still in the dark on how the strays are put down,�� Chin said.

Numerous cases of mistreatment of stray dogs by dog catchers have been reported in pounds run by the Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj), the Klang Municipal Council (MPK), the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) and the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS).

Chin, however, praised the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) for having the most decent pounds in the Klang Valley. Ill-equipped: The trucks used by the dog catchers are often not properly modified for the purpose

The non-governmental organisation Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better (MDDB) has visited numerous municipal pounds to see first hand the deplorable conditions the dogs are kept in.

��The dogs don��t receive proper food and enough water and the enclosures they are kept in are never cleaned and disinfected. ��That is why dogs that we rescue from the municipal pounds all suffer from distemper, parvo and corona viruses and other diseases and infections,�� a MDDB volunteer who declined to be named said. She added that one of the worst-kept pounds they had visited was the one run by the MPS (Selayang).

Chin was puzzled that the government pounds were not well-funded, which she said was the opposite of the situation overseas.

The DVS in 2008 had come up with a comprehensive guidelines on Catching and Exterminating Strays Dogs and it was meant to educate the municipal councils and NGO��s on how to maintain and manage pounds in a sustainable manner.

However, when StarMetro checked with three municipal dog pound workers, none had read or even seen the the manual. A dog catcher who spoke on condition of anonymity said that no one cared about the dogs as they were seen as a nuisance and it was just an chance to make money.

The way the dogs are caught and, eventually, put down shows that they have no care for the dogs and lack empathy... N. SURENDRAN

��The more dogs you catch, the more money you make,�� he said. ��It all boils down to attitude and a lack of will to change.

��Despite all the outcry, you still have agencies organising dog-catching competitions,�� Surendran said. Surendran added that the attitude was the same in government agencies tasked to handle animal welfare.

��That��s why we are one of the top 10 countries for wildlife smuggling. The agencies involved in animal welfare like the DVS and Perhilitan were not even aware that an animal testing facility would be set up in Malacca.�� This is clearly against Section 44 of the Animal Act and yet they did not even know about it,�� he said.

melmel
K9 Maniac

Apr 21, 2010, 8:52 PM

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SAM Against Animal-Testing Labs in Msia
Apr 2010

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) wishes to express our opposition against the proposed three animal-experimentation laboratories to be set up in Rembia, Alor Gajah in Malacca.

The exploitation of animals in painful and often largely pointless research for optional human purposes is totally deplored by SAM.

SAM is concerned over the animal welfare, or actual suffering that non-human primates and laboratory animals might undergo as a result of their use in scientific procedures and research.

There is no way that animals used for laboratory purposes can truthfully adhere to the 'Five Freedoms' if animals are going to be incarcerated in cages and subjected to research or toxicity tests.

- Freedom from hunger and thirst;

- Freedom from discomfort;

- Freedom from pain, injury or disease;

- Freedom to express normal behaviour and

- Freedom from fear and distress

Monkeys are wild animals and conditions under which they are kept in the laboratory are seldom adequate to meet even their most basic physiological and ethological needs. They are subjected to stress and fear at all times

Furthermore, the acquisition of some macaques may involve capture from the wild to supplement captive breeding colonies. Capturing them causes a great deal of distress due to the trapping process, transport to holding and or breeding centre, quarantine and adjustment to new social and environmental problems.

On the other hand, the import of beagles from Holland has raised concerns of the conditions in which animals are kept in breeding and supplying establishments for subsequent use in laboratory.

In France, for instance the French National Association against Trafficking in Pets (Antac) reported about 60,000 dogs disappear annually, half of them stolen for use by research laboratories.

Unscrupulous dealers will then target animal shelters as sources to meet the demands for drug and pharmaceutical testing. According to a report in the Advocates for Animals Annual Review 1992, the Spanish Animal Defence Association stated that more than 2,500 stray dogs and cats are taken each year from Spanish animal shelters to laboratories in Germany and Switzerland.

The demand for beagles will certainly give rise to a disturbing trade in stray and stolen dogs for research laboratories.

Another concern is the absence of legislation governing the use of animals in research and experimentation. Currently there are no provisions under the Protection of Wildlife Act 1976, and the Animal Act (2006) to ensure humane care, treatment and handling of animals used for research.

Moreover, the absence of access to laboratories and the veil of secrecy surrounding the use of animals in research make it very difficult to monitor what is being done to animals inside these animal research establishments

melmel
K9 Maniac

Apr 25, 2010, 10:01 PM

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Animal groups unite on World Day for Animals in Laboratories to stop the construction of an animal testing laboratory in Malaysia

24 APRIL 2010, KUALA LUMPUR - To mark World Day for Animals in Laboratories today, a coalition of animal protection groups has launched an international effort to stop the construction of an animal laboratory at the Masjid Tanah Industrial Park in Malacca, Malaysia. The proposal, which has only recently come to light, is a result of collaboration between the Indian contract testing company, Vivo Bio Tech, and the State government-owned Melaka Biotech.

The coalition, which includes the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Selangor, the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) and the European Coalition to End Animal Experiments (ECEAE), which represents animal protection organisations from 17 countries, has written to the Government urging it not to allow this facility to go ahead on humanitarian grounds. Also to be considered is the impact that allowing such a facility will have upon Malaysia��s international image in the world. A meeting to discuss the coalition��s objections in full has been requested.

Disturbingly, Malaysia currently has no legislation governing the use of animals in research. According to the company��s website (www.vivobio.com), Vivo Biotech carries out extensive animal research, including toxicity testing on a variety of species for a number of purposes, including the controversial use for cosmetic products. It has also been reported that primates could be sourced locally in Malaysia. The government of Malaysia made an important stand by re-instating the ban on the export of primates for research in 2008. Should the animal laboratory be allowed to be set up in Malacca, immense suffering, misery and death will be inflicted on thousands of animals, and potentially facilitate the trade in wild-caught macaques within Malaysia.

The coalition opposes the construction of this facility for both ethical reasons and the lack of scientific validity of using animals in testing. It argues that there is a large range of non-animal techniques that, as well as being a more humane approach to science, can also be cheaper, quicker and more effective. These include cell, tissue and organ culture; micro-organisms such as bacteria; molecular research; studies with post-mortem tissues; computer simulations, population studies (epidemiology) and ethical clinical research with human volunteers.

Coalition spokesperson, Christine Chin, SPCA Selangor stated: ��We are calling on animal groups and others around the world to join us in urging the Government of Malaysia to dissociate itself from a proposal that will not only involve the suffering and death of thousands of animals every year, but also will undoubtedly have a negative and detrimental impact on Malaysia��s image overseas.��

Action Alert
Please support the international campaign to stop the development of an animal testing laboratory in Malaysia. Join with us in opposing the development of an animal testing facility in Malacca, Malaysia. The BUAV ( www.buav.org/) , the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Selangor (www.spca.org.my) and the European Coalition to End Animal Experiments (ECEAE) ( www.eceae.org/) have joined forces to campaign on this issue and we need your help!

The coalition opposes the construction of this facility for both ethical reasons and the lack of scientific validity of using animals in testing. It argues that there is a large range of non-animal techniques that, as well as being a more humane approach to science can also be cheaper, quicker and more effective.

There is still time to take action. We understand that as yet, no notice or applications of permits have been made to the Peninsular Malaysia Department of Wildlife and National Parks, or the Department of Veterinary Services. Further information and a link to a recent article in the Malay Mail, a leading Malaysian newspaper, can be viewed here: www.buav.org/a/2010/04/02/309

Please support the campaign and urge the Prime Minister of Malaysia and the Chief Minister of Malacca to put an end to the negotiations between the Indian biotechnology company and the State government-owned Melaka Biotech. Request that they do not embark on the controversial business of animal research and remind them of the negative impact that the proposed laboratories will have on Malaysia��s international image.

Prime Minister of Malaysia
Datuk Seri Najib Razak
Prime Minister
Office of the Prime Minister
Main Block, Perdana Putra Building
Federal Government Administrative Centre
62502 Putrajaya
Malaysia

Email: ppm@pmo.gov.my (cc. the Prime Ministers Secretary at aziz@pmo.gov.my)

Chief Minister of Malacca
Datuk Seri Hj. Mohd Ali bin Mohd Rustam
Office of the Chief Minister
The Seri Negari
The State Administrative and Development Centre
Malacca, Malaysia
Email: alirustam@melaka.gov.my

Licensing Authorities
You can also request that the government authorities in Malaysia not issue any permits for the facility.

Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry
Datuk Seri Noh bin Omar
Wisma Tani, No 28, Persiaran Perdana, Precint 4
Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan
62624 Putrajaya
Wilayah Persekutuan
Malaysia

Email: nohomar@moa.gov.my

Minister of Natural Resources and Environment
Dato Sri Douglas Uggah Embas
Level 1 - 4, Podium 2 & 3, Wisma Sumber Asli
No.25, Persiaran Perdana, Precint 4
Federal Government Administrative Centre
62574 Putrajaya
Malaysia
Email: uggah@nre.gov.my

Department of Veterinary Services
Dato�� Dr. Abd. Aziz b. Jamaluddin
The Director-General of Veterinary Services
Wisma Tani, Block Podium Lot 4G1
Presint 4, Federal Government Administrative Centre
62630 Putrajaya
Malaysia

Email: azizj@dvs.gov.my

Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan)
Dato' Abd. Rashid bin Samsudin
Director-General
Headquarters of the Department of Wildlife and National Parks
Km 10, Jalan Cheras
56100 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia

Email: rashid@wildlife.gov.my (cc. to Personal Assistant at pakp@wildlife.gov.my)

Embassies
You can also write to the Embassy of Malaysia in your own country. For the contact details of Malaysian Embassies around the world go to:

www.embassiesabroad.com/embassies-of/Malaysia

Action Alert
Please support the international campaign to stop the development of an animal testing laboratory in Malaysia

melmel
K9 Maniac

May 4, 2010, 9:16 PM

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Malaysian Insider

Canine group to sue KTMB over stick-in-a-dog

Tying up a stray dog with a stick shoved down in throat could see national rail operator Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) in a court house soon.

Canine welfare group, Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better (MDDB), is pursuing legal action against KTMB for allegedly torturing the dog, ironically named KTM for the place where it was found.

��We��ll file a civil suit,�� MDDB coordinator M. Mala told The Malaysian Insider. ��Once we file, it��ll be a precedent.��

The KTM dog incident first garnered public attention through a complaint letter titled ��Ghastly animal abuse at Kepong KTM Station,�� written by M. Nisha to Malaysiakini on March 17 this year, where the writer explained how she and a group of commuters had found the dog in a tortured condition two days earlier.

KTMB had issued a statement in response, admitting that their staff had caught the stray dog and tied it to a fence. However, KTMB denied intentionally shoving a piece of wood down the dog��s throat, stating that the dog bit on the wood and refused to let go of it after KTMB staff tried to use the wood as bait.

KTMB further explained that the reason they caught the stray dog was because it had bitten passengers before, though none resulted in serious injuries. But concerned commuters alerted the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) which immediately went to the station but failed to find the dog as it had been released. However, the SPCA team managed to locate the brown patchy dog at the Selayang dog pound about a week later, upon which they handed it to MDDB.

KTM is seen here tied up and with a piece of wood stuck in its mouth.
��Our lawyers are looking at how members of the public can be plaintiffs,�� said Mala. Currently, the lawyers are in the process of drafting an affidavit. The civil suit is expected to be filed in a couple of months, Mala added.

��We have animal activists coming up offering to be plaintiffs,�� she said. When asked on the amount of damages MDDB is seeking from KTMB, Mala said that they are not seeking for damages. ��We don��t want their money,�� said Mala point-blank.

Instead, Mala said that they want KTMB to contribute to any animal welfare group, though not necessarily MDDB. In terms of contribution, KTMB could contribute to things like infrastructure, she added.

MDDB is a canine welfare initiative spearheaded by the NGO Community Development and Integration Initiative (CDII). They have rescued and placed hundreds of puppies in homes since 2008, according to Mala.

The dog, KTM, is now residing at a veterinary services clinic, she said, and the MDDB is currently looking to adopt him or foster him. Reactions from other animal groups towards the alleged KTM dog abuse have been varied.

��We have all the laws. Unfortunately, authorities don��t use it,�� SPCA chairman Christine Chin told The Malaysian Insider. Malaysian laws on animal cruelty are considered weak compared to similar laws in other countries. Section 44 of the Animal Act 1953 (2006 Amendment) punishes animal cruelty offenders with a RM200 fine or six months imprisonment.

In contrast, Singapore imposes a RM23,000 fine or one year imprisonment. Hong Kong animal cruelty offenders are fined RM90,400 or three years imprisonment. Thailand��s fines for animal cruelty range from RM100 to RM10,000.

Although animal lovers had petitioned the government in 2007 to increase the fine from RM200 to RM10,000, and to increase the jail term from six months to two years after the horrific abuse of a German Shepherd named Sheena came to light, nothing was changed. ��Where there is no enforcement, abuse continues,�� Chin said

.

(This post was edited by melmel on May 4, 2010, 9:17 PM)

melmel
K9 Maniac

May 4, 2010, 10:15 PM

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MDDB Notice Board :

Good bye & RIP, KTM Abused Dog

When it rains, it pours. KTM, the dog abused by the KTM workers, died in his sleep yesterday. He was very frail but had a hearty appetite. It was only on his last day that he showed some respiratory problems and it is believed he was infected with distemper. We think he must have been infected in the ten days he spent at the Selayang pound given that almost all the puppies rescued there by Animalcare tested distemper positive. Many had died from the time of rescue.

There was someone called Leong who wanted to see KTM and claimed she had been feeding him for the last two to three years at the station. Leong also told us that the KTM workers often tormented and abused the poor dog. When we told her to wait for a while until he stopped being so panicky, Leong had said KTM may die soon because he had been very frail. We are sorry Leong, for telling you to wait - because you were right - he was indeed frail and died before you could see him. But we are still not able to understand why someone who cared so much for him allowed him to be continuously abused by the KTM workers.

The only comfort we have now is knowing that KTM was given love and attention for the period he spent under the care of our fosterer - who ensured that he was fed with his favourite chicken everyday. What has happened to KTM will only push us to pursue our civil suit against KTM, the Selayang Municipal council and also the Klang Municipal Council. We had initially not planned to initiate legal action against the Klang Municipal Council but after learning that their dog catchers had to actually be taught to catch dogs - we were told we had grounds to sue.

KTM

melmel
K9 Maniac

May 6, 2010, 10:57 PM

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Canine abuse: Animal rights group mulls suing KTMB and Selayang council

Malay Mail

The saga of a stray dog found chained on March 15 at the Kepong Sentral railway station with a length of wood stuffed into its mouth has ended sadly 46 days later with its death.

With the canine's death, animal rights body Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better (MDDB) are now mulling legal action against KTM Bhd (KTMB) for allowing such an incident to happen at its premises. MDDB representative, M. Mala told The Paper That Cares the organisation would hold a meeting today with members and lawyers to discuss further action.

"We do not need KTMB's money. "The lawsuit does not mean we want monetary compensation. Our claims would include getting KTMB to adopt an animal shelter or to sponsor the 'trap, neuter, release' programme."

The canine's death is just another reason why justice should be sought against animal abuse. She said this was not the first such incident to have resulted in an animal's death.

The dog's plight was noticed by a commuter on March 15, who had then complained about the canine's maltreatment to KTMB staff and the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS).

KTMB president Dr Aminuddin Adnan confirmed the stray dog was captured by railway staff on March 14. The dog had apparently been roaming the Kepong station for almost two years and was a nuisance �� attacking and biting passengers at both the station's parking area and ticketing counter.

KTMB had lodged several reports with the council on this stray dog. The canine was captured by KTMB staff a day after the last report was lodged with the council. But, upon receiving the commuter's complaint, the stray dog �� now aptly dubbed "KTM" �� was released and it had apparently, since, stayed away from the Kepong station.

Some time later, "KTM" was captured by the council and identified by Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Selangor members at the council's pound. The canine was bailed out and handed to MDDB for rehabilitation.

"The the council's pound was very unhygienic and dirty. Most of the puppies sent there became infected. We suspect "KTM" might also have been infected in the 10 days at the Selayang pound," said Mala.

"The dog's health condition was improving, despite being frail earlier. But, on his last day, he showed some respiratory problems and it was believed he was infected with distemper."

"KTM" was found to have died in his sleep at 8pm by a staff who had come to feed the canine. MDDB is also mulling suing the council as well for having failed to adhere to the guidelines provided by Department of Veterinary Services in managing its animal pound.

The council's public relations officer Mohamad Zin Masoad said it was up to MDDB to decide whether to sue the council. "As far as we know, we have been managing the pounds as stated in the guidelines."

Admitting the one-off incident where the pound was overcrowded, he said it happened due to the lack of staff to properly manage the area at that time.

"Do not judge us with that one-off incident. We have been working hard to ensure the improvement of the pound's condition and the well being of the animals there." Zin added the council was always open to discussion from any animal rights group for the betterment of the pound's condition.

KTMB declined to comment on MDDB's claims at Press time. SPCA Selangor assistant manager of public relations and marketing, Jacinta Johnson, expressed her sadness over the loss of "KTM", saying the death was terrible due to the circumstances he was in. "Such animal abuse isn't something new. But, what happened to "KTM" was simply terrible and unacceptable

(This post was edited by melmel on May 6, 2010, 11:25 PM)

melmel
K9 Maniac

May 7, 2010, 10:51 PM

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Malaysian Insider

Time to pressure the DVS -

Dog lovers accuse authorities of uncaring attitude

Dog lovers have accused the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS), as the sole government arm in charge of animal welfare, of not protecting dogs.They point out that only one case of animal abuse prosecution has been filed in the last five years.

��There��s lack of enforcement in the prosecution department,�� said Christine Chin, chairman of the non-governmental organisation Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).

A total of 657 animal cruelty cases were reported last year with 90 per cent involving dogs, although none was prosecuted, according to SPCA marketing and communications manager Jacinta Johnson-Chan in a recent media report.
��I think DVS has no will to prosecute abusers,�� Christine told The Malaysian Insider. ��There are a few cases where the evidence is quite strong that the animal is abused, but they��d rather give them warning and a lot of chances.��

The DVS has come under fire for being indifferent towards animal abuse. In a horrific case of dog abuse where Sheena, a German Shepherd was starved by her owner till she had to be put down in 2005, the DVS reportedly did nothing though a neighbour had telephoned the agency three times about Sheena��s abuse. By the time DVS officers seized the dog, it was too late to save her. Sheena��s owner walked off with a RM100 fine.

In another case five years ago, a pet shop called Pet Safari was alleged to have allowed a sick dog under its care to die without giving it medical attention for two days. Despite the availability of witnesses and photographic evidence, Shah Alam DVS director Tee Thian See had said his department would not take any action because ��they did not see anything��.

��Their (DVS) priority is not cats and dogs; it��s livestock,�� said M. Mala, co-ordinator of canine welfare initiative Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better (MDDB). ��They ensure livestock is not affected by disease.�� The DVS��s mission is to provide quality veterinary services as an assurance for public health and sustainable livestock industry for the sake of human welfare, as stated in its official website. Four out of its five purported objectives are related to the livestock industry. The DVS is under the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry.

A starving and abused Sheena. ��They (DVS) do a good job with livestock, but certainly not dealing with dogs... there have ben (sic) countless cases of dog abuse by the Malaysian public, AND the councils...," Joane Sharmila, a 30-year-old editor from Kuala Lumpur, said in an email interview. "Dogs starving in pounds, dogs left to rot in pounds, dogs bludgeoned to death instead of being euthanised? Nothing at all has been done to address these problems. ��In short, DVS sanctions all these acts of cruelty,�� she added.

Another dog lover, Carolynn Thaw, told The Malaysian Insider in an email interview that she does not trust the DVS with protecting the welfare of dogs. "I don't think much of them cos (sic) after all the cries for help from animal lovers, the DG had the cheek to even suggest using strays as dog meat... and the guy��s a vet!�� the 36-year-old said. DVS deputy director-general Datuk Dr Ahmad Suhaimi Omar suggested last March that people should be allowed to eat dogs kept in pounds to check the number of strays.�� They are animals, just like chickens or goats,�� he told a forum on effective animal pound management organised by the Petaling Jaya City Council��s canine advisory team.

Azimah Mohd Othman, a 45-year-old personal assistant, said an absolute no when asked if she trusted the DVS. ��Trust? You must be kidding! They are not there to help any of the dogs... no way am I going to trust any of them with anything!�� she blasted in an email interview.

A starving and abused Sheena

melmel
K9 Maniac

May 8, 2010, 11:50 PM

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Malay Mail

Animal groups in protest over planned animal test

A joint protest by animal protection groups - both local and international - has been launched against the planned building of animal testing laboratories in Malacca.

Launched in conjunction with World Day for animals last Saturday, this coalition protest includes the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Selangor, the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (Buav) and the European Coalition to End Animal Experiments (ECEAE), which represents animal protection organisations from 17 countries.

They have written to the Malaysian government following news of the formation of the canine, primate and small animals-testing facilities which were highlighted by The Malay Mail on April 2.

This coalition is urging the government to disallow the construction of such facilities on Malaysian soil on "humanitarian grounds" and to consider the negative impact of allowing such a facility.

In their letters, the coalition wants a meeting to present their objections to the animal-testing facilities - part of a RM450 million biotechnology centre to be set up in Rembhia in Alor Gajah in a collaboration between a large Indian biotechnology firm and state government-owned Melaka Biotech Holdings Sdn Bhd.

A joint release by SPCA, Buav and ECEAE said: "Disturbingly, Malaysia currently has no legislation governing the use of animals in research.
"According to the company��s website, www.vivobio.com, Vivo Biotech carries out extensive animal research, including toxicity testing on a variety of species for a number of purposes, including the controversial use for cosmetic products."

The coalition also expressed concern over where the primates, to be used for laboratory testing of medicines produced at the centre, would be sourced from.

"It was also reported that primates could be sourced locally, if permission is given. The government made an important stand by re-instating the ban on the export of primates for research in 2008.

"Should the animal laboratory be allowed to be set up in Malacca, wide suffering, misery and death will be inflicted on animals, and potentially facilitate trade in wild macaques," the joint release read.

The coalition was opposing construction of this facility, not merely on ethical grounds, but on what they deem as a lack of scientific validity in the use of animal testing.

"There is a large range of non-animal techniques that give science a more humane approach. This can be cheaper, quicker and more effective.

"These include cell, tissue and organ culture; micro-organisms such as bacteria; molecular research; studies with post-mortem tissues; computer simulations, population studies (epidemiology) and ethical clinical research with human volunteers," SPCA, Buav and ECEAE argued.

Coalition spokesperson, Christine Chin, who is also SPCA chairman, called on animal groups around the world to join the coalition's cause in urging the Malaysian government not to support the proposal that will not only bring greater suffering and death to animals, but also will undoubtedly have a negative and detrimental impact on Malaysia��s image overseas.

This call was reiterated by Buav Special Project director and spokesman Sarah Kite, who told The Malay Mail: "BUAV and ECEAE are calling on the Malaysian government to intervene to stop animal testing from going ahead. We will call on our supporters and members around the world to join us in this call."

The Malay Mail was also informed that a joint Buav-ECEAE letter of protest was sent to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak earlier last week via email and airmail while SPCA will also send out similar letters to various authorities this week.

The Malay Mail reported on Aprl 2 that the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the proposed RM450 million one-stop fully-integrated biotechnology centre for the development, testing and manufacturing of medicines and encompassing the three forms of laboratories in which testing on animals would take place, was inked on Jan 21 in New Delhi, India.

The MOU was signed between Melaka Biotech, Indian Biotechnology firm Vivo Biotech Ltd and Vanguard Creative Technologies Sdn Bhd with Malacca chief minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam being one of three representatives who signed the MOU. The signing was witnessed by Najib.

Joint-venture company Vivo Bio Tech (M) Sdn Bhd was set up as a result of the signing. The Malay Mail reported the project was still in its early days with the company about to submit building plans to the Alor Gajah Municipal Council (MPAG).

Vivo Bio Tech Malaysia director Datuk Kuna Sittampalam said the company was planning to import Beagles from Holland for use in the canine laboratory while white mice would be used in the small animals lab and, if allowed, primates would be sourced locally.

However, as said in the previous The Malay Mail report, neither the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) not the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) were aware of such a deal to bring in animals for testing.

With no legislation on animal testing, it is unclear which department or ministry has the authority to approve animal testing in the first place.

Perhilitan deputy director I Misliah Mohamad Basir was quoted assuring government guidelines would be drafted should any such facility be approved by the ministry.

On July 6 last year, The Malay Mail reported the Johor State Investment Centre (JSIC) was considering a proposal by a French pharmaceutical research company to set up a pre-clinical monkey-testing facility in Johor, with long-tailed macaques being derived from other countries. The Johor proposal was condemned by international and local animal welfare groups.

melmel
K9 Maniac

May 17, 2010, 10:21 PM

Post #150 of 175 (62800 views)
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Animal groups to stop the construction of an animal testing laboratory in Malaysia .

Click & Sign d Petition : www.thepetitionsite.com/1/StopPlansForAnimalTestingMalaysia

Target: To the Prime Minister of Malaysia and the Chief Minister of Malacca

Sponsored by: SPCA Selangor, Friends of The Earth Malaysia, British Union For The Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV), European Coalition to End Animal Experiments (ECEAE)

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