Animal activist decries inaction on animal cruelty in KK, Malaysia

KOTA KINABALU: Malaysia:- An animal activist has criticised local authorities for their alleged lackadaisical approach in dealing with stray dogs problem and animal cruelty.

Sam Lau pointed out that Section 428 of the Penal Code stipulates that the killing of a dog, an area that should be of concern to the police, may result in jail of not more than two years or a fine or both; whereas acts of wilful cruelty towards dogs or other animals, under the jurisdiction of the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS), may result in heavy fines.

“In KK, however, these provisions seem to hold little sway, with the authorities being slow to act or choosing not to act at all,” he said.

“The tragedy of stray animals is a seemingly never-ending and all-pervasive problem – a sight familiar to us all in KK.

A badly beaten stray dog while another lies dead on the cargo bed of a truck.

“The slaughter and brutal maiming of five stray dogs recently in Country Heights Apartments, Penampang,is a case in point and not a sight residents will easily forget,” Lau said.

He claimed that the management of the housing estate had resorted to clubbing the dogs to death after complaints to the local council fell on dead ears.

He said a member of Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) present ordered the release of the one dog that was still alive, but no measures were taken to prosecute.

The perpetrators, using the developer’s lorry to remove the dogs’ bodies, left the scene unquestioned.

“Where is the voice of authority to speak out for animal rights in Sabah? Evidently it is muffled at best or non-existent in the main.”

Lau said that in a similar incident, a recent Trap Neuter and Release (TNR) initiative by SPCA in Taman Nelly Phase 9, Kolombong ended in tragedy.

“Residents sponsoring the neutering of local strays witnessed a red truck passing through the vicinity and meat being distributed to five neutered-and-released street dogs, two of which died soon after ingesting the meat,” he claimed.

“How, despite laws being in place to criminalize the killing of these animals, can they continue to be treated as rubbish to be disposed of rather than sentient beings with the right to life?”

“Perhaps Sabah can take a page from the book of those championing dogs’ rights to life in Selangor. Following the disastrous incident of an elderly woman’s long-time pet being shot by Ipoh City Council, an ensuing outcry from the public, NGOS and Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association (Petpositive), led to a ban on the shooting of dogs in Ipoh.”

Lau said it is high time for more firm action to be taken against brutalising strays in KK.

“Firstly, the ambiguity surrounding prosecutions under Penal Code 428 must be addressed by the relevant parties and penalties dealt more swiftly.

“Secondly, city authorities in KK would do well to engage in dialogue with animal rights and animal protection groups to discuss ways of improving its management of stray dogs in the city.

“Such efforts would ensure that the animals are not only given a chance to live well but also provide the long-term benefits of companionship to the pet lovers who adopt them.

“The cruel killing of dogs is unacceptable if we wish to live in a truly compassionate and caring Sabah.”

News Link:-: http://www.theborneopost.com/2013/07/01/animal-activist-decries-inaction-on-animal-cruelty-in-kk/#ixzz2Xk0DtcoE

Please speak up for the canines in Malaysia by signing the petitions on these links:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/555/397/991/stop-shooting-stray-dogs-in-kota-kinabalu/

http://stopanimalabuse.petfinder.my/

Please push the SPCA in Kota Kinabalu to take action against this by posting on their facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=257789997643901&id=207200722626426¬if_t=share_reply

Read more: http://digitaljournal.com/blog/16275

Cruelty, torture & abuse

Behind The Scenes At The SPCA: Investigating Animal Cruelty

George Bengal of the Pennsylvania SPCA is like the Ed McMahon of animal rescues. There’s just one difference: When he comes to your door, he’s not bringing an oversized check and balloons.

“I’ve had cases where the people we’re investigating will say to me, ‘I know you, I’ve seen you on TV,” said Bengal. “And to that I say: ‘And now you’re going to be on TV with me, but it’s not for a good reason.”

As the director of humane law enforcement for the Pennsylvania SPCA, Bengal has seen everything from dog-fighting, as seen in the recent Germantown case, to pet hoarding. He’s also a retired Philadelphia police officer.

With 12 humane officers on the team, the group can have a workload of 30 to 50 cases at one time. They also have the daunting task of enforcing the animal cruelty laws for 16 counties.

“People often think that we’re funded by the state because we’re enforcing state laws, but that’s not the case,” said Bengal.

His team is constantly following-up on calls and investigating animal cruelty and abuse. 

“We have a twenty-four-seven hotline,” said Bengal, “calls come in everyday and we look into each one. Every time I think I’ve seen the worst case, another one will top it,” said Bengal.

A look into the world of animal fighting

Bengal says he has seen horrific scenes of animal fighting. The fights, which are motivated by money, involve high-end betting.

“In one case, my team found half a million dollars in cash at a home,” said Bengal. “It’s a blood sport. These animals are trained to fight, even to the death.”

He says the fights attract large crowds and he’s seen over 100 people in one house. Spectators can be charged just for watching.

“In many cases, women will be cooking and actually selling food upstairs in the kitchen, while downstairs the men are watching the fighting,” said Bengal.

A dog rescued from dog-fighting. (Courtesy of the Pennsylvania SPCA)

He says the animals are trained to fight from a young age. Owners may start out playing tug-of-war with the dog as a puppy using a towel or rope. Eventually, they will start training with weight pulls for a sled, which are legal.

“They train them like it’s a fun game,” explained Bengal. “Eventually, they’ll put heavy chains on their necks to strengthen them, pump them full of steroids and have them run on treadmills. Animal fighting is like a boxing match.”

The fights are so serious that the owners will even pay for a cutman to treat physical damage during the fight.

“These guys will go so far as to put a sedative or poison on their fur, so that when the other dog bites, he’ll get weak and sick,” explained Bengal. “With cock fighting, they will implant knives or gaffs on the animals claws.”

When asked if the owners ever feel remorse for their actions, Bengal says they only think of the animals as valuable property.

“They’re mad when we take their animals because some of them are worth thousands of dollars,” said Bengal.

“Some of these dogs are grand champion fighters, and their pups alone can be worth $20,000 to $50,000.”

Dangerous hoarder homes

Can you imagine 110 Chihuahua‘s living in one home? Bengal can. He says that typically, animal hoarding goes hand-in-hand with other types of hoarding, which can mean a dangerous situation for both animals and humans alike.

“These are some of the most tragic cases,” said Bengal. “These people have serious issues. They’ve lost their ability to know what’s right and wrong. They don’t having running water, they don’t get things fixed.”

He says for many hoarder cases his team must wear protective gear and breathing masks due to mass amounts of feces and garbage.

“We’ll find dead animals inside these houses,” said Bengal. “One woman actually asked if she could take pictures of the dead ones before we took them out, she was that mentally attached.”

He says homicide cases for humans mean a felony or a death sentence, but when an animal is killed, it may only mean minimal jail time or a fine.

“When we go to a location, it’s a lot like a narcotics investigation. We get forensic evidence and autopsy results to determine the cause of death,” said Bengal. “We treat these cases as if it were a regular homicide.”

The SPCA works with the Licenses and Inspections (L&I) department to get people out of these conditions and find them psychiatric help. In some cases the properties may be deemed unlivable and are condemned.

“We try to do as much as we can,” said Bengal. “You have to stay professional at all times. Our job is a combination of a cop, social worker and educator.”

Healing hands at the SPCA

Wendy Marano, spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania SPCA, says the group has a “no kill” philosophy.

“No animal comes here with a clock ticking,” said Marano. “We work hard to get them better, we want to give them a second chance.”

She says the SPCA team works to rehabilitate abused animals so that they may one day enter into an adoptive home.

News Link:-http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/homepage-feature/item/52547-behind-the-scenes-at-the-spca-investigating-animal-cruelty?Itemid=1&linktype=hp_featured

URGENT Petitions to sign please: An international delegation will be at the EU on 24th of January

Posting on behalf of Occupy for Animals, please help by signing the petitions below; it’s time to unite as one & take action against Europe‘s homeless animals

Occupy for Animals

Please TAKE ACTION for Europe’s homeless animals – SIGN the PETITIONS NOW!

An international delegation will be at the EU on 24th of January, 2013 to address the problem of the growing stray animals population in Europe.

A video about the dire plight of Europe’s homeless animals will be shown, the problem will be discussed, and different petitions will be handed over. 

Babies in the animal control center Seslavci, Sofia

THESE PETITIONS ARE:

► Europe must take responsibility for millions of street animals:

Info and petition here: http://www.eu-protest1-en.aerztefuertiere.de/

► Sofia – Corruption and shady practices hinder the management of stray animals populations

Please read the entire page, it has pictures of the shelter; stories of some of the dogs & also video. Info here: http://www.occupyforanimals.org/sofia–corruption-and-shady-practices-hinder-the-management-of-stray-animals-population1.html

Petition here: https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/bulgaria-start-sterilization-campaigns-in-sofia-and-all-bulgarian-municipalities-immediately

► Ovidiu Portariuc, the mayor of Botosani has hired SC Puppy Vet SRL – known for having killed thousands of stray dogs – and wants to send the city’s stray dogs to Constanta, on a dubious ‘pilot project’

Info here: http://www.occupyforanimals.org/the-mayor-of-botosani-wants-to-send-the-citys-stray-dogs-to-constanta-on-a-dubious-pilot-project.html

Petition here: https://www.change.org/petitions/mr-ovidiu-portariuc-mayor-of-botosani-collaborate-with-ador-and-implement-a-catch-neuter-return-program#

► The petition against the chaining of dogs

Info here: http://occupyforanimals.wix.com/straysofeurope#!chained_dogs/c6gx

Petition here: http://www.change.org/petitions/european-commission-ban-the-chaining-of-dogs-in-the-eu

► The petition to help the Romanians get justice for Tereza Szekely and the 120 innocent animals burnt to death in Cluj/Romania 

Info and petition here: http://www.causes.com/causes/800026-justice-for-carer-tereza-and-the-120-cats-and-dogs-burnt-to-death-25-10-2012-in-cluj-romania/actions/1702098

Please SIGN NOW and share this post with your friends ♡

The adage that there is strength in numbers holds especially true when it comes to petitions, be it to the EU or other relevant authority. Please add your voice to those of growing numbers of compassionate people from around the world, and let’s make a difference!

Together, we can!!!

Welcome to the animal control center Seslavci, Sofia

Abandoned Dog Left Bleeding After Home Neutering Job – Recovering

“Well this lady is a kinder women than me, I could never forgive somebody for doing this…what the hell did they use as anaesthetic, probably nothing. Thank goodness she came along or else this could have turned out so horribly for the poor dog! He has a beautiful face, somebody must recognise him, I would have thought the police would be interested in speaking to the person who tried DIY surgery; then just left him!”

A pit bull named Buddy was abandoned at an Oregon grocery store after a do-it-yourself neutering job went wrong. 

He was found leashed to a shopping cart with a bag of dog food in it and a sign that read “Anything helps.”

Springfield, Oregon resident Jan Durham discovered the badly bleeding dog and rushed him to an animal hospital.  She paid for his life-saving surgery out of her own pocket.

“He’s really good you know,” Durham said as she cradled Buddy’s head in her lap.  “He’s a great dog.  He’s so sweet.  He’s smart.  He knows how to sit and lay down.”

She says she feels no anger toward the person who left Buddy.

“I thought that they were just trying to do something on the cheap and trying to save money,” Durham said.  “And, I don’t know what their circumstances were.  At least they loved him enough to leave him in such a public place.”

Buddy’s botched neutering was serious enough to threaten his life.  

“They tried to slice the skin open in the scrotal sack to remove the testicle and apparently, when our client brought him in, things were hanging out,” said Q Street Animal Hospital manager Beth Mitchell.  “He was bloody and it was painful.”

Buddy is now recovering in Durham’s foster home.  She has another dog and unfortunately cannot keep him, but will hold on to him while he recuperates.  Luv-a-Bull, a local pit bull rescue organization, will be handling his adoption when he is ready.  Liesl Hardt, a spokeswoman for the organization, has said that Buddy is smart, sweet and good with kids.

News Link:-http://www.lifewithdogs.tv/2012/11/abandoned-dog-left-bleeding-after-home-neutering-job-recovering/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LifeWithDogs+%28Life+With+Dogs%29

Dogs killed and left by roadside

Five dogs were found strangled and dumped on an Al Ain street on Sunday morning, causing an outcry from animal lovers and organisations from all over the country.

The dead animals, one of which was a which was a bitch that was either pregnant or had recently given birth, were discovered next to a main road in the Zakher neighbourhood.

The dead animals were laid out in a line with ropes around their necks. A knife could be seen next to them.

Margit Muller, the director of the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital, said she feared the incident could be repeated if the killers were not caught.

Charny Naude, of the Animal Welfare Al Ain organisation who found the dogs, called the killings “inhumane”. The South African added: “You have to be insane to do something like that.”

The dogs were taken away without a proper investigation, a situation that Raghad Auttabashi, of the Abu Dhabi-based Al Rahma Animal Welfare Society, called “unacceptable“.

Ms Auttabashi, who visited Al Ain when she heard about the killings, said vital evidence, such as the knife, had been lost, because the dogs were “treated as a piece of garbage that needed to be collected from the road”.

“This is a serious crime – a murder – but they just took it as a trash report, not as law and a crime that needs to be followed up,” she said. “The law is clear; killing and abusing animals is illegal.”

Margit Muller, the director of the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital (ADFH) said the incident was “one of the most horrible killings” she had ever encountered.

Ms Muller said she feared that the incident could be repeated if the killers were not caught.

“People who do such detestable crimes have lost all their social empathy,” she said.

“This case of animal cruelty should definitely be followed according to the law.”

She said only tough action by the authorities would prevent future animal abuse and would show a “commitment towards animal welfare”.

Mohamad Al Marzouqi, from the Public Health Division at Abu Dhabi Municipality, said killing the animals was a criminal act.

“It is not allowed to kill like this; if the police find out who did it, they should take action,” he said. “The law says we must protect the welfare of animals.”

Lesley Muncey, the chairwoman of Dubai-based charity organisation Feline Friends, said cases of animal abuse were not uncommon.

She said there was a well-known “game” where people released kittens onto a motorway “to see how many lanes the cat could cross before getting hit by a car”.

Some cats were found in rubbish bags, while others had been seen being thrown out of cars on Sheikh Zayed Road, she said.

“One gentleman called me completely shaken, saying he saw five kittens being thrown out of a car.”

Ayesha Kelaif, who runs the Dubai Animal Rescue Sanctuary, said it was “disturbing to live in a society with people who don’t respect” animals.

“The poor things did not deserve that; these are helpless animals and to harm something so innocent is inhumane to me.”

The ADFH, the only hospital in the capital authorised to neuter stray cats and dogs, has a database of all the animals it treats. If the microchipped animal’s details are not found, the hospital contacts the city’s veterinary clinics in a bid to find an owner.

The hospital recently began a partnership with the Abu Dhabi Centre for Waste Management (CWM) to help differentiate between strays and missing pets found dead on the streets by scanning for microchips and checking for details of ownership.

However, the official from the CWM said they “never received a call” to collect the five dead dogs.

“When our contractors collect dead animals from the streets, they send the bodies to the incinerator without an autopsy to identify the cause of death,” the official added.

News Link:-http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/dogs-killed-and-left-by-roadside

A Cut Above – How a onetime rodeo gal is wrangling animal cruelty

“Read this interesting story about a women who used to be a rodeo fan & actually ride bulls, but who know has seen the light & fights against the industry…as well as blowing the whistle on other industry short falls. I would like to shake this lady’s hand & probably give her a cuddle for the countless animals she has saved at low cost; since realizing animals hurt too etc.!”

Veterinarian Peggy Larson gets along better with animals than with most humans. “The spaying and neutering is pretty easy,” she says, cleaning up after a surgery in her Colchester-based Cat Spay/Neuter Clinic. “What’s hard is dealing with people.”

It’s not surprising that Larson takes a sometimes-dim view of her fellow humans: She’s spent decades fighting instances of animal abuse ranging from livestock mishandling to rodeo exploitation to outright neglect and cruelty. But this feisty and outspoken woman wasn’t always an animal crusader. She grew up a self-described tomboy on a North Dakotaranch, and at 16 decided on a whim to take up bareback bronco riding — a rodeo sport dominated by men. “I was crazy when I was young,” Larson says with a laugh.

Peggy Larson spays a cat

“You really have a different mind-set when you grow up on a ranch,” she continues. Animals were “income-producing objects,” a commodity, and so she didn’t worry much about the spurs she dug into a bronco’s back, or the calves who were shocked repeatedly before a roping event — until she enrolled in veterinary school and found herself gobsmacked by just how much animals and humans have in common.

“It was a real revolution,” she says.

Now Larson is 77, though she looks a good decade younger. At 5-foot-4, she’s spry and petite. Today she’s wearing scrubs and comfortable Crocs sandals, and she perches atop a small step stool next to her operating table. Larson keeps up a steady stream of chatter from behind her surgical mask while she deftly preps a long-haired gray cat for surgery. Already asleep with the aid of an anesthetic, the cat is splayed belly up on the operating table.

Not that Larson is especially worried about popularity contests: She’s not afraid to ruffle feathers, particularly in her work as an advocate for animals. She rails against theAmerican Veterinary Medical Association, which she dubs a “backward institution” and accuses of worrying more about making money than animal welfare. “The AVMA is pro-rodeo, they’re pro hogs in gestation crates, they’re pro hens in batteries,” Larson says, disgusted.

While working as a USDA inspector of animal welfare and livestock disease programs in the late ’70s and early ’80s, she blew the whistle on embezzlement within the program. Larson later took a no-nonsense approach to overhauling meat inspection in Vermont during her stint as state veterinarian. The onetime bronco rider now campaigns to eliminate the sport. “There’s nothing more cowardly to me than a calf roper,” she says fiercely.

Read the rest here:– http://www.7dvt.com/2012cut-above

Barrio Dogs march on July 4 to raise animal awareness

HOUSTON (KTRK) — A local dog rescue nonprofit and its supporters will march through Houston on July 4 in an effort to raise community awareness about animal overpopulation, mistreatment and neglect.

The “Freedom for All” march begins at 9am Wednesday in Hidalgo Park, located at 7000 Avenue Q. It’s hosted by Barrio Dogs — an organization that seeks to educate, empower and transform Houston’s East End community by raising awareness about proper animal care and the importance of spaying and neutering pets.

Barrio Dogs formed in March 2010 when co-founder Gloria Medina Zenteno returned home to the Greater East End after years away and saw her old neighborhood overrun by homeless and neglected animals. She said she worked with rescue groups but realized that the community needed a solution addressing the root of the problem. With that belief, Barrio Dogs was born.

“I think residents are fed up with the homeless, unwanted and abused dogs they witness daily in certain parts of the East End like Hidalgo Park,” Medina Zenteno said in a release. “Barrio Dogs is desperately trying to spread the word that spay neuter is the only solution to Houston’s animal overpopulation. We want to urge residents to spay and neuter their pets and encourage them to call authorities when they see neglected, abused or chained animals. Our goal is to engage residents and local civic and political leaders in finding a solution to these problems that diminish the quality of life in our community.”

Participants in the Freedom for All march Wednesday morning will gather in the park and walk through the surrounding neighborhood, then meet back at the park for a rally with speakers and information about low-cost spay and neuter alternatives, proper pet care and tips for reporting animal abuse and neglect.

If you plan to attend, organizers are discouraging people from bringing their own pets on the walk for safety reasons because the area is known for stray and roaming dogs.

To see the map route for the march, visit Barrio Dogs on Facebook.

For more information on the event or the organization, go to www.barriodogs.orgor email info@barriodogs.org.

Video & News Link:–http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=8711951

Join our big online protest urging Kharkiv to comply with our stray dog agreement

Join our big online protest urging Kharkiv to comply with our stray dog  agreement

FOUR PAWS is initiating a large-scale online protest urging the City of Kharkiv to accept FOUR PAWS’ conditions for the stray dog project: People can send our protest email to the Ukrainian authorities to convince Kharkiv that a humane solution for the stray dog project needs to be realized and the killing of dogs has to be stopped.

FOUR PAWS has already been implementing the project successfully in other Ukrainian cities.

Click here to join the protest

Read more about this story

News Link:-http://four-paws.org.uk/output.php?id=1290&language=1&nlid=12055

Humane Society of the United States applauds Oklahoma law enforcement officials for rescue fforts

McALESTER — The Humane Society of the United States applauds Oklahoma law enforcement officials for their efforts in rescuing 110 Australian Shepherd dogs from abuse in an animal cruelty case.  The HSUS donated $5,000 to assist with the rescue.

The Harper County District Attorney’s Office has filed one felony count of animal cruelty against suspect Donna Walker of Laverne, Okla. Walker, 69, faces a penalty of up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

“We are grateful to Harper County Sheriff Office officials, including Sheriff Marty Drew, and Oklahoma State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners’ Investigator William Brogden for their tireless effort in rescuing the dogs and in seeking justice for them,” said Cynthia Armstrong, Oklahoma state director for The HSUS.

In May, officials were called to Laverne to investigate after receiving several complaints. When they arrived they found the 110 dogs and two cats suffering from a lack of adequate food, water shelter and veterinary care.  Some of the animals were living in a single-wide trailer filled with trash, and kennels found on the property were saturated with fecal matter. In the trailer, decomposing food littered the floor, and water containers on the property were filled with dirty water. Most of the animals had not been socialized and lacked proper grooming. Few had been spayed or neutered.

With the help of The HSUS and other animal protection groups, all of the animals have been adopted into loving homes. Other groups that contributed to the rescue and rehabilitation effort included the Humane Society of North Texas, Petsmart Charities, The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Oklahoma Pet Professionals and the Central Oklahoma Humane Society.

News Link:–http://mcalesternews.com/local/x318751979/Humane-Society-of-the-United-States-applauds-Oklahoma-law-enforcement-officials-for-rescue-fforts

Woman guilty of animal cruelty fined and barred from owning more than one pet Read it on Global News: Global Edmonton | Woman guilty of animal cruelty fined and barred from owning more than one pet

The woman at the centre of one of the city’s most horrific cases of animal cruelty has been sentenced to a fine and strict restrictions.

Shelly Zenner pleaded guilty to causing an animal distress after more than a thousand rabbits were seized from her south side home.

The rabbits destroyed the home by chewing through wiring in the home and urinating everywhere.

Half of the rabbits were unable to be saved because they were too ill.

Both the crown and defence had requested the sentence that the judge handed down Monday.

In addition to the $8,500 fine, the court also employed a rarely used section of the animal protection act. It essentially allows the court to put Zenner on probation for the rest of her life.

She is not allowed to have any rabbits and she can only have one pet, either a dog or a cat that has been spayed or neutered. She is not allowed to go to a pet store unless she is buying food for that animal.

The crown says, given the nature of the case, the sentence is a good balance between the facts of the case with the mental health issues that are clearly there.

“The crown accepts the fact that animals are great companions and add a lot to people’s lives. At the same time, these animals are indefensible,” says Crown Attorney Christian Lim, “So this sentence sets a large deterrence factor. It is tempered with mercy and grace, in other words, it looked at the situation of the accused, her financial situation and mainly her health situation.”

Zenner’s mother and brother were also charged in this case, but those charges have been dropped.

Read it on Global News: Global Edmonton | Woman guilty of animal cruelty fined and barred from owning more than one pet