BarisaStop the Dog Catching Competition immediately!
 

_________________________
Media Statement 
by Ronnie Liu Tian Khiew
______________________

(Selayang, Tuesday): We are deeply concerned about the Dog Catching Competition which is organized by the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS).

The messages come out from the advertisement on the Selayang Municipal Council's website were utterly cruel and ridiculous.

• The first-prize winner will get RM15, 000; the second-prize winner will get RM13, 000 and the third -prize winner will win RM11,000.

• The minimum number of dogs capture for the top three winners must be at least 150 dogs each.

• Each month, the council pays RM20 for each stray dog caught as an incentive to the dog-catchers.

While we agree that action to control stray dogs are necessary for reasons of safety and healthy environment and to avoid overpopulation, a dog-catching competition is hardly a solution but will only create a bigger problem. We object to the idea of controlling population of stray dogs through the dog-catching competition with lucrative prizes due to the following reasons:

(1)Residents are not trained and could hurt themselves. These stray dogs are not used to human contact and if cornered, they might attack those who try to catch them.

(2)The prizes were generous and would certainly draw desperate people who would resort to any means to catch dogs. They may harm or injure the dogs and may use inhumane methods.

(3)This will indirectly encourage people to catch dogs and perhaps even steal house pets.

On top of that, is this how our municipal councils are going to spend our hard-earned money from the increase in assessment and quit rent rates? The amount of money, which is more than RM50, 000, should be spent on public education, and more pro-active measures should be put into practice such as active sterilization programs, different licensing for neutered and unneutered dogs, responsible pet ownership programs and making abandonment an offence under municipal by-laws.

For too long our municipal councilors have not been held accountable and transparent for their spendthrift expenditure and they are getting more and more innovative in their extravagant spending.

We urge the MPS to stop the Dog Catching Competition immediately.

(11/9/2007)