The curtailment of stray animals, more so dogs, in Malaysia have often been raised as an incredibly contentious issue among members of the public.
This is especially with regards to the involvement of undue violence and cruelty that allegedly been used during these operations, with even members of the public occasionally found taking things into their own hands by abusing, if not killing these animals outright in a show of prejudiced intolerance.
30 stray dogs found dead in Penang neighbourhood
And despite how gut-wrenching they may prove to be, instances that involve the deaths of stray dogs continue to crop up in Malaysia, with the most recent string of such cases cropping up in the state of Penang. The matter was recently raised by the Spay, Adopt, Mannage, Assist (SAMA) Society, a non-profit organisation based in George Town which aims to promote the management and care of local animals.
According to a post dated April 29th, a total of 29 dogs that have been identified as community pets by the residents of the Taman Island Glades Delima residential area have been found poisoned to death.
In speaking with Wau Post, the society’s secretary, Sarah, adds that another dog was later found dead earlier this morning, bringing the total number of poisoned animals to 30 in a little over a month’s time. Previously, their organisation was initially contacted by a stray dog feeder on March 5th, when it was noticed that three to five of the usual strays in the area had wound up dead.
While they have written to the local city council concerning the killings, more community strays that were often fed and cared for by locals were also subsequently poisoned.
Believed to be killed by serial poisoner
As a consequence, only 21 community dogs in the neighbourhood remain alive, but they fear that this number will continue to dwindle if the perpetrator behind the senseless string of poisonings isn’t caught.
At this point in time, Penang City Councillor Connie Tan has been made aware of the situation and had visited the neighbourhood to investigate the matter. With that said, other local authorities are hesitant to help as they reportedly would not act without any concrete proof.
Sarah has since confirmed that the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) will be collecting one of the carcasses to conduct an autopsy with.
The string of stray dog deaths was further corroborated by two separate reports by both The Star newspaper and Free Malaysia Today. In speaking with The Star, animal lover David Yim claims that as many as four stray dogs were found dead on Sunday (April 2nd, 2023), next to plastic bags containing what is believed to be poisoned pet food.
“The killing started in March when a house owner found his pet dog dead in the compound but he did not think much of it until he heard from his neighbours, who fed strays, about the numerous dead dogs in the area,” he said.
Reports have been lodged with the police and state Veterinary Services Department in connection to the deaths. He adds that not only stray dogs, but even birds have died after consuming the poisoned food.
Resident Anna Chin echoed David’s findings, and claims that four of her own rescue dogs have died from poisoning, alongside some cats and birds in her compound. According to Free Malaysia Today, the animals were found with agape mouths and bloated stomachs, with some residents having witnessed the strays suffering from fits and seizures before dying.
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