FMT:
29 dead dogs in a month one too many, cry Penang residents
Distraught residents of Taman Island Glades suspect the dogs were poisoned and want the authorities to investigate.
Animal lover Anna Chin lost four of her rescued dogs in one day. (Anna Chin pics)
GEORGE TOWN: For more than a month, residents of Taman Island Glades have been troubled by the deaths of dozens of dogs which they suspect to have been poisoned.
The distraught residents, as well as animal welfare groups, are now pleading with the state authorities to investigate as they keep finding dead dogs almost daily. To date, a total of 29 dogs have been found dead.
Residents claimed to have also found dead cats and birds in the neighbourhood.
Speaking to FMT, 67-year-old Anna Chin said she first discovered four dog carcasses in the neighbourhood on March 5, one of them behind her house.
Four days later, on March 9, the animal lover found four of her own rescued dogs dead in a shed in her compound, together with some dead cats and birds.
The animals were found with their mouths ajar and bloated stomachs. Some other residents had found the animals suffering from fits and seizures before dying.
This led her to suspect that the animals had been poisoned because prior to the incidents, the strays had been well taken care of by the residents for years. They were kept clean and well-fed.
“Also, they were sent to the veterinary clinics and have flea guards on them,” Chin said.
“If only one dog is found dead, then it is fine. But when many dogs, cats and birds are found dead, then something is definitely wrong.”
Chin said local animal welfare groups, such as Spay Adopt Manage Assist (Sama) and International Aid for the Protection & Welfare of Animals (IAPWA), had reached out to the state’s department of veterinary services (DVS) to investigate the deaths.
However, Chin claimed the welfare groups informed her that the DVS had told them its hands were tied as there was no video evidence or eyewitness available.
Instead, DVS suggested that the residents install CCTV cameras around the neighbourhood.
“Some local groups said they would work on installing CCTVs next week. By then, most of my dogs will be dead,” Chin lamented, worried about the other 10 dogs under her care.
“We need help from the state authorities. Please help us so that there are no more dead dogs, cats and birds. It is not right that they have to die in such a way as they too are God’s creations.”
According to Sama, the 29 stray dogs were found dead between March 5 and April 3.
Another resident who preferred to be known only as Jo, told FMT that her four-and-a-half-year-old pet dog was found dead in a “similar condition” as the stray dogs on Feb 8.
“I have no proof (of poisoning), but we can’t deny the fact that almost 30 dogs have been found dead so far,” she told FMT, adding that a couple of residents had lodged police reports last month.
Meanwhile, the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) told FMT that a site visit would be carried out by one of its councillors.
GEORGE TOWN: For more than a month, residents of Taman Island Glades have been troubled by the deaths of dozens of dogs which they suspect to have been poisoned.
The distraught residents, as well as animal welfare groups, are now pleading with the state authorities to investigate as they keep finding dead dogs almost daily. To date, a total of 29 dogs have been found dead.
Residents claimed to have also found dead cats and birds in the neighbourhood.
Speaking to FMT, 67-year-old Anna Chin said she first discovered four dog carcasses in the neighbourhood on March 5, one of them behind her house.
Four days later, on March 9, the animal lover found four of her own rescued dogs dead in a shed in her compound, together with some dead cats and birds.
The animals were found with their mouths ajar and bloated stomachs. Some other residents had found the animals suffering from fits and seizures before dying.
This led her to suspect that the animals had been poisoned because prior to the incidents, the strays had been well taken care of by the residents for years. They were kept clean and well-fed.
“Also, they were sent to the veterinary clinics and have flea guards on them,” Chin said.
“If only one dog is found dead, then it is fine. But when many dogs, cats and birds are found dead, then something is definitely wrong.”
Chin said local animal welfare groups, such as Spay Adopt Manage Assist (Sama) and International Aid for the Protection & Welfare of Animals (IAPWA), had reached out to the state’s department of veterinary services (DVS) to investigate the deaths.
However, Chin claimed the welfare groups informed her that the DVS had told them its hands were tied as there was no video evidence or eyewitness available.
Instead, DVS suggested that the residents install CCTV cameras around the neighbourhood.
“Some local groups said they would work on installing CCTVs next week. By then, most of my dogs will be dead,” Chin lamented, worried about the other 10 dogs under her care.
“We need help from the state authorities. Please help us so that there are no more dead dogs, cats and birds. It is not right that they have to die in such a way as they too are God’s creations.”
According to Sama, the 29 stray dogs were found dead between March 5 and April 3.
Another resident who preferred to be known only as Jo, told FMT that her four-and-a-half-year-old pet dog was found dead in a “similar condition” as the stray dogs on Feb 8.
“I have no proof (of poisoning), but we can’t deny the fact that almost 30 dogs have been found dead so far,” she told FMT, adding that a couple of residents had lodged police reports last month.
Meanwhile, the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) told FMT that a site visit would be carried out by one of its councillors.
The Penang Island City Council should set up a crocodile farm so that stray animals could be fed to the crocodiles. Periodic harvest of the crocodiles for the expensive skin will definitely help the council to rid of the island of stray animals, instead of relying on fake animal lovers to tackle the problems.
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