PETALING JAYA: The joint petition by eight animal welfare groups and pet adoption portal Petfinder.com.my against animal cruelty in the country has garnered worldwide support.

Besides Malaysians, the petition has so far been signed by people from countries like United States, Britain, Brazil, Canada, New Zealand, the Netherlands, India and Ger-many.

The groups involved in the petition are the Selangor Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), PAWS Animal Welfare Society, Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better (MDDB) canine welfare project, Animalcare, Paws Mission, Save A Stray, H.O.P.E Johor and Penang SPCA.

The petition was initiated following the uploading of a video on YouTube video on May 8 of Batu Pahat Municipal Council workers killing a dog in the middle of a residential area.

The comments left on the petition ranged from criticisms of the local authorities to emotional pleas to stop the abuse.

“Animal abuse is cruel in every and any degree and should be stopped,” wrote Grace Lee from New York while Angela Knight from Scotland wrote that Malaysia “should be ashamed over what had happened”.

Meanwhile, more people around the country are expected to lodge police reports over the next few days against the Central Johor Baru Municipal Council over the shooting of a landscape supervisor's dog in Taman Johor Jaya, Johor on May 5.

Owner Tan Sek Khang had claimed that the council had first shot the dog in the leg outside his home before chasing it into his compound and subsequently shooting it again in front of his wife and son.

MDDB legal affairs and advocacy coordinator Shalinee Fernandez said it was time for local councils to realise that they were the “biggest abusers” of dogs in the country and change their ways.

“They must first stop giving out dog catching contracts to private companies which go on canine bounty hunting sprees,” she added.

The petition can be viewed at http://stopanimalabuse.petfinder.my/.

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