MELAKA: The terrible treatment of dogs in a pound in Selangor has appalled Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali who has now ordered local authorities to inspect all animal shelters in the state.
The Melaka Chief Minister said he was really upset and disappointed with the way the dogs were allegedly left to starve.
“It’s not the way to treat God’s creations,” he said.
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Several photographs and videos of skinny and unkempt dogs at a pound that is allegedly under the supervision of the Kuala Langat Municipal Council (MPKL) has gone viral.
“I hope Malaysians will come forward to champion the welfare of animals,” Sulaiman said in an interview yesterday.
He also sent a personal donation to the Malaysian Dog Deserve Better (MDDB) to buy food for the dogs.
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“This is a small contribution from me, and hopefully my gesture will inspire more people to help these poor dogs.
“We will also look into other forms of assistance for the stray animals,” he said.
Sulaiman has also called for an audit to be conducted at all pounds managed by the four local authorities in the state to safeguard the welfare of stray dogs and cats.
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In Negri Sembilan, Jeram Padang assemblyman Datuk Manickam Letchuman was also shocked over the viral video and pictures of the dogs at the pound.
He said the dogs would not have been in that condition if MPKL had truly fed them as it claimed.
MPKL said yesterday in a statement that the animals at its pound were fed every day.
Manickam said all the states had to take a serious look at how they treat stray animals.
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“The only way to reduce the number of stray animals within a five-year time frame is the Trap-Neuter-Release-Manage (TNRM) method,’’ he said.
He added that the Negri Sembilan government was tackling the problem humanely.
“Our exco in charge of local councils, Teo Kok Seong, is very attentive towards implementing a humane method in handling street dog issues,’’ he added.