----- Original Message -----
From: DogPeople.Org
To: info@hsi.org ; veda@animalsvoice.com ; anmlpepl@whidbey.com ; animaladvocates@telus.net ; info@dogsdeservebetter.org ; info@bestfriends.org ; chai.usa@verizon.net
Sent: Thursday, September 06, 2007 4:38 AM
Subject: FW: STOP BARBARIC DOG CATCHING COMPETITION IN MALAYSIA
Dear friends of dogs,
I am forwarding an e-mail which I received today. It is indeed a horrifying and unbelievable news.
I am from Singapore (different country from Malaysia). I don’t know what to do except to forward this information to bigger and more effective animal welfare groups like yours as well as our Singapore press in the hope of much more experienced international advocators in your groups have some ideas what can be done about it.
The sender has done a terrific job in contacting some of the press, including The International Herald Tribune and China Post and she also had an online petition put up. Please go to her blog if you want to read them.
Best Regards,
WONG, Wai Ping (Jessica)
www.DogPeople.Org
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From: Natasha Fernz [mailto:natasha@axtrasynergy.com]
Sent: Thursday, September 06, 2007 4:26 PM
To: dog@dogpeople.org
Subject: STOP BARBARIC DOG CATCHING COMPETITION IN MALAYSIA
Importance: High
Dear Sirs/Madams,
I would like to bring to your attention this case in Malaysia, and am hoping that you will somehow be able to assert some influence on this issue. I have already posted this issue on my own blog http://cleopatrathelabrador.blogspot.com and have emailed as many of my friends as possible, and have also written to the local press.
I read with horror an advertisement on the Selayang Municipal Council’s website in Malaysia. See http://www.mps.gov.my/default01.htm. This advertisement was for a Dog Catching Competition where lucrative prize money was being offered to individuals who could catch the most dogs! (Unfortunately this entire posting is in the Malay Language. Please do contact me if you require a translation)
How could the council even come up with such an idea? Which half sane or decent human being managed to come up with such a cruel and ridiculous idea? The competition would only encourage more cruelty towards these helpless animals. (Bear in mind that these stray dogs that are on the streets are due to our own negligence).
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 care 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 into 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 that I also believe that this competition would actually encourage people who are out to make easy money to steal dogs!!! So I would also like to warn all dog owners to please bring your dogs indoors to keep them safe from these potential dog thieves!!!
I think that the actions of the Selayang Municipal Council in organizing such a competition is not just irresponsible, but down right BARBARIC!!!
I am pleading to the government and the authorities to 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 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 organizations 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 dog catching competition, we are only encouraging the people that cruelty is an acceptable way of life. And I sincerely believe that Malaysians do not want to be seen by the world as a nation that sanctions cruelty to animals.
I have updated a list of email addresses of our local press on my blog - http://cleopatrathelabrador.blogspot.com. Would appreciate any help that I can get on this matter.
Thank you for your time.
Regards,
Natasha Fernz
Axtra Synergy Sdn Bhd
Tel: (++) 6016 322 8816
Email: natasha@axtrasynergy.com
Website: www.axtrasynergy.com