Sg Petani council accused of cruelly culling strays

 

The Sungai Petani Municipal Council (MPSPK) is said to have culled stray dogs at a council warehouse on Jan 18.

SUNGAI PETANI: The Sungai Petani Municipal Council (MPSPK) has been accused of cruelly culling 35 stray dogs at the council’s warehouse in Taman Batik, here on Jan 18.

K Rajaspari, 52, who regularly feeds stray animals, claimed the dogs were culled despite council officers being told two shelters were willing to take them in.

Rajaspari, who is based in Penang, said she learned that the strays had been rounded up by the council from her sister, who regularly fed one of the captured dogs.

On being told the dogs were kept in a warehouse, she headed there to rescue them, after two shelters – one in Bukit Mertajam, Penang and the other Pendang, Kedah – agreed to take the animals in.

Rajaspari told FMT she brought with her two lorries to ferry the dogs to the shelters.

On arrival, she claimed to have seen several council personnel wrangling the dogs with round iron rods. Although barred by a security guard from entering the premises, she claims she could hear the dogs crying in pain.

Rajaspari said a representative from the Bukit Mertajam shelter informed a warehouse official via telephone that it was ready to take in 25 strays.

She also said both shelters texted her to confirm they could take in all 35 dogs.

“My sister went to the nearest cyber cafe to print out the messages. As she was doing that, an official told the staff to go and kill the dogs in the cages,” she alleged.

Rajaspari claimed to have seen council staff taking the dogs from the cages one by one using the iron rods. She also claimed the staff members held “small objects” near the dogs’ heads.

“After 15 minutes, there were no more cries or barks from the dogs,” she said, adding that she was too traumatised to take any photos or video clips of the culling.

Rajaspari then called the police and urged them to inspect the warehouse. A policeman was duly dispatched to the scene, but she was told the matter was beyond their jurisdiction.

Disappointed, her sister later filed a police report at Kuala Muda police station on the same day over the culling.

“I demand justice for the dogs they killed. Those involved in torturing and killing all those 35 poor dogs must be punished under the Animal Welfare Act,” she said.

Kuala Muda police chief Zaidy Che Hassan confirmed receiving the report and told FMT the case has been referred to the council for investigation and further action. - FMT