Dog poisoning in Serdang: When cruelty goes unchecked, it poisons us all

 

THE news of fifteen dogs being poisoned to death in Serdang isn’t just a headline which has become viral—it’s a punch to the gut. It should stop us in our tracks. The fact that a police report has been filed but the perpetrators remain in the shadows doesn’t make this less serious. It makes it worse.

When acts of cruelty happen again and again and no one is held accountable, it points to a deeper sickness—a failure of our collective conscience and the systems meant to protect the vulnerable.

These animals weren’t trash to be disposed of. They were living, feeling creatures. In every faith practiced here in Malaysia—Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Baha’i faith—we are taught to be stewards of creation, not its tormentors.

Poisoning a creature isn’t just illegal; it’s a violation of a sacred trust that chips away at the very foundations of a compassionate society.

Our faiths are clear on this. Islam teaches “rahmah”—compassion for all beings. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) spoke of reward for showing kindness to an animal and warned against cruelty.

The Bible says a good person cares for their animals. Hinduism and Buddhism teach “ahimsa”—non-violence toward all life. This isn’t niche philosophy; it’s the moral bedrock of who we claim to be as a nation.

Kindness to animals isn’t just about them; it’s a mirror to our own souls. In the Bahá’í teachings, true compassion doesn’t have limits. It can’t be turned on and off. The way we treat a creature who is entirely at our mercy says something profound about who we are inside—about our own spiritual depth and maturity.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, a central figure of the Bahá’í Faith, gently teaches us that our capacity for tenderness must reach all living things. To harden your heart to an animal’s suffering, he explained, is to harden your heart itself. It creates a distance, not just from the creature, but from the Divine source of all compassion.

He cautioned that this matters on a grand scale, too. Violence, whether against a person or an animal, doesn’t stay in one place. It’s like a stain that spreads, weakening the moral weave of our entire community.

So from this perspective, cruelty to an animal is more than a social misstep or a legal offense. At its core, it is a spiritual failure—a missed opportunity to reflect the love and mercy we ourselves hope to receive.

Yet, too often, animal cruelty is brushed aside as a “small” problem. That is a grave mistake. Studies worldwide show a undeniable link: violence against animals is often a precursor to violence against people. When we let cruelty fester at the edges of society, that brutality doesn’t stay there. It seeps inward.

(Image: The Star)

We have good laws, like the Animal Welfare Act 2015. What we are missing is the consistent will to enforce them. Poisoning is a coward’s act—silent, indiscriminate, and a danger not only to strays but to pets, wildlife, and even our children.

To treat these cases with anything less than urgency tells everyone that cruelty is an acceptable option.

We need our leaders to match their words with visible action. This means dedicated investigators for animal cruelty cases, proper post-mortems for suspected poisonings, clear ways for the public to report crimes, and using community tools like CCTV.

Most importantly, it means prosecuting offenders to show this will not be tolerated. And we must start young—teaching our children empathy and respect for all life as a core part of their education.

A society that preaches piety but ignores the suffering of a helpless animal is living a contradiction. Protecting animals isn’t a “Western” import or a side issue. It is a direct reflection of our character. It’s a test we are currently failing.

If we allow this kind of barbarity against the voiceless to become normal, we shouldn’t wonder where our compassion has gone. We will have already poisoned it ourselves. 

KT Maran is a Focus Malaysia viewer.

The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of  MMKtT.

- Focus Malaysia.