Letters

Selayang Municipal Council Dog Hunt Competition

By Kit

September 06, 2007

Spate of outraged emails over Selayang Municipal Council’s insensitive competition, like this one from Grey: “This is an outrage! When the Americans all over the US and the world are condemming Michael Vicks for promoting animal cruelty by having dog fights, the Selayang council is actually giving cash prize up to RM15,000 to the rakyat for the capture of these creatures!!! That’s OUR Selayang council. Check out their website to find the offending annoucement.”

Here is another:

I bring to your attention the abovementioned matter. It’s come to my attention via the Selayang Municipal Council’s website (http://www.mps.gov.my/default01.htm) of this very attractive part-time “job”. I would like to express my uttter disgust and am absolutely repulsed by this barbaric competition which is being held by the council. This competition is not only NOT solving the problem of strays in the area, in fact, I believe it is so easily-abused by greedy citizens. What’s going to stop strangers from stepping into someone’s home, abducting someone’s pet, removing the collar and pass it off as a stray? The prizes offered are lucrative enough for many to steal in order to receive the top prize. RM15,000, RM13,000, RM11,000 for first, second and third prize respectively. The Selayang Municipal Council is not only irresponsible, it is downright barbaric! Instead of offering the prize money as an incentive, a better way would be to use the money for spaying and neutering the strays. An even better solution would be to actually donate the money to its local SPCA or PAWS. I plead to you and your organization to do the right thing and highlight this matter in all ways possible to stop this from taking place. In a country where a dog is deemed unclean by the majority of its citizens, it’s easy for the council to get away but each animal has a right to live and if it has to be put down, it has to be done in a most humane way possible. Thank you. Sincerely, SiewYee