Thursday November 5, 2009
Dog day afternoon
WHEEL POWER
By ANTHONY THANASAYAN
CAT’s dog forum proved to be a howling success.
THE Canine Advisory Team (CAT) decided to hold its first-ever dog forum recently. CAT is a committee set up by the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) to look into animal issues.
As chairman of the group and MBPJ Councillor, I was tasked with leading the organising team.
The purpose of the forum was to bring together pet lovers and people who do not own dogs. This was to help both sides appreciate the role of canines, and try to find solutions to the many problems dogs present to people without canines. The forum was a big success.
We covered a range of issues, from the responsibility of pet owners to pet rights, canine cruelty and abuse, and even animal-assisted therapy.
The fact that people with disabilities and the elderly also participated in the half-day weekend forum turned the occasion into a meaningful one for everybody involved.
I received feedback from some of the participants – all able-bodied – that they were rather surprised to see the disabled and elderly participating at the event.
The sight of wheelchairs and people with white canes (the blind) made them wonder if they had stumbled into a “disabled association’s event.”
One pet lover who did not have any disabled friends, said she had no idea that pets, especially dogs, played a key role in the lives of the handicapped.
One of the chief issues raised at the forum was the request for free dog licences for the disabled and the elderly, from all the local councils in Selangor. The waivers would serve as the local councils’ recognition of the therapeutic role that dogs play in the lives of vulnerable groups.
Someone with a progressive condition like Parkinson’s disease would benefit a great deal by taking his or her dog out for a walk in the park instead of sitting by the television all day.
An unmotivated paralysed accident victim lying in bed would be able to channel his attention on his pet, rather than entertain suicidal thoughts.
Currently, only Shah Alam provides free dog licences for disabled dog owners, whilst the elderly are given 50% off.
A dog owner who is paralysed from the neck down, told me that he lives in fear that the local council might come to his house one day and confiscate his dog because he does not have a licence.
“I’ve been jobless since I became disabled and every sen counts. Besides, I have no one who can go to the local council to get a licence for me,” he added, pointing out that his only pal now is a mongrel.
Two of the speakers at the dog forum were persons with disabilities.
Our CAT team made sure that parking lots nearest to the entrance were reserved for disabled drivers.
The security guards were also instructed to assist the handicapped when they got there.
This was in addition to some of the volunteers who were invited specially to assist the disabled.
All of us came away from the forum, having learnt something new that day. For some, it may have been about animals and our need to respect their rights and co-exist with them. For others, it may have been about how NGOs and local councils function.
And for others still, how a simple and small step of support can go a long way for some special people.
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