It's a Dog eat Dog World

Mahatma Gandhi said, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated”

Now, anyone who knows me knows that I am basket-case when it comes to animals. Calling me an animal-lover would be a complete understatement.

My housemate and I have been housing strays for the longest time. We’ve had all kinds of species of animals that we have picked from the ditch to care for. Mind you species not breeds. We’ve had dogs, cats, birds, mice and even a bat. All of which were in dire need to survive and we managed to nurse them as well as we could. While we do live in an apartment, and have BEEN living in apartments for as long as we’ve been in KL, fostering animals in need has been difficult, but not undoable. This disposition started ages when we were kids. I remember walking to the shop to run errands for my mother, and coming home with not only the vegetables she instructed me to pick up, but puppies and kittens I found in drains and sidewalks. I remember the protests and an incident of me being locked outside the house, bawling my eyes out, clutching unto a mangy puppy my mother had insisted I put back where I found it. That particular incident, sent me into a 4 hours protest without budging, until my mother gave up in exasperation and allowed me AND the puppy back into the house. Being poor, we couldn’t afford to house all those strays I picked from the roads. However, we always fostered them until we found them good nurturing homes.

Dogs are perhaps the most misunderstood species in the world. A dog is not an ornament, or a security guard. It is not a part of your furniture or an element to dictate your social status. While I hate people who throw out dogs to fend for themselves because they assume it is their instinct to survive in the wild, I am more revolted by those who deny their pets the love and respect they deserve. The only instinctual characteristic of dogs is their unconditional love for their master. Indulge them with a scratch behind their ears and they will reward you with a lifetime of loyalty unconditionally, even when it means choosing to give their lives in exchange of yours. Even a mother’s love cannot substitute the love a dog would have for his master.

What people do not understand is that the act of deciding to adopt or buy a dog is a larger than life decision. It is not another furry object, it is a life you are bringing into yours. Deciding to home a dog is as good as deciding to have a baby. You have to take into account your finances, your capabilities of being accountable for another life, your space to provide the best for your new baby, and your dedication towards this living thing for better or for worse. It is a life altering decision which many don’t realize. It is a big step and it is not something that you can decide to discard and replace it with a perkier newer version. The bottom line is, If you are incapable of dedicating your life to your dog, DON’T FREGGIN GET ONE!

The many cases of abuse of dogs have been making headlines in our papers. But as Malaysians, we turn the page and pretend these pictures and acts do not bother us. We do not have laws to sufficiently punish those who murder animals or torture them, and these people, scot free and walk tall in the eyes of our law and regulations. Let’s face it, even our authorities torture the animals that are captured straying around and that are placed in the pound. Instead of humanely putting them down, The pound is a mass graveyard for dogs who have been clobbered to death and cats who have been drowned alive. Everyone wants a pedigree dog that they can show off and be proud of. But no one wants the strays who are in need of a home.
I have a toy poodle whom I refer to as my daughter for the past 4 years. While some may cynically refer to me as a hypocrite, my dog was found on the streets. After months of posting up notices for her owner to claim her back, I finally gave up and kept her as my own. Piggy may be a purely bred toy poodle, with an extraordinary posture and a cottony fur coat which makes her look expensive and posh. But to me, Piggy is just as any other dog to me. If piggy was a stray mangy dog that I found on the street, I would do the very same for her, feed her the same food, and loved her the very same way. I would keep my stance, just as I did to my mother 20 years ago.
There are plenty of dogs who are waiting to be adopted. Each one of them varying from looks to temperament. But there is one common thing. They are waiting for a new master to serve. If you cannot adopt, you can be a part of the foster care system “Pet Rescuers” have established.

Here are a couple of pictures to jock your conscience.


These are the starving dogs in a dog pound in Selayang


Joy is a dog who a lovely stray who minded her own business. The last bashing was when some stranger smashed her lower jaw just because she was what they considered "haram". Joy has undergone surgeries and is miraculously alive and healthy with a new home now. She can only consume a liquid diet now.


This dog was tied to a KTM station and had a stick stuck down its throat by some person who thought it would be an excellent way to stop it from yelping. The dog was tied by a strong so short it could hardly move as it chocked him everytime he tried to. ALL THESE in broad daylight.


Another case of an irresponsible owner who would not bring his dog to the vet and allowed maggots and flies to infest the wounds that he had.


The infamous case of Sheena the german shepherd who was abandoned and left to die when her owners moved out. She suffered multiple complications from continuous starvation and initial malnutrition. Sheena never made it to recovery, but she lives on in our hearts and of conscience today. Sheena would have made it if someone was vigilant and reported her case to Pet rescuers or SPCA earlier... It pays to mind your neighbour's business, especially in the eyes of the "Big Guy" sitting up there in the clouds watching down on us.

In reality, the pretty picture painted where dogs are waiting for a home at the back of a see through glass at a pet shop, is far from the real situation. The killing stops, when the buying stops. And in this case, it is exactly the same scenario. If you want to adopt a pet, why not adopt one who is in need, rather than buy one from a pet shop. Dogs who are placed in pounds and the SPCA are put down after their expiry period of possible being adopted. It doesn't make us any more humane just because we do not consume turtle eggs, buy leather wear or abstain from veal and foie gras. Of course, before you decide to adopt, please do make sure that you are ready to have another life in your life. That you are not intending to pass your pet over to someone else when times get hard.

All puppies are cute and bouncy. SO don't get one on impulse just because you think you can handle it. BE SURE you can.

If you can't adopt, and have the space for a dog anyways, foster one. There is nothing more rewarding than doing your part and saving a life. i urge you to forward this posting to anyone and everyone you know. The more awareness you create on the injustice Dogs in Malaysia experience, the better it is. God knows humans need to re-evaluate their nature.

All pictures were taken from http://malaysiandogsblogofshame.blogspot.com/