Summer, a Golden Retriever was believed to have been fed chicken laced with rat poison.
KLANG: People who do not like dogs should not resort to hurting or killing the animals, says an animal activist.
Joanne Low added it was truly alarming that there were several cases of pets and street dogs being poisoned recently.
“Why are people so intolerant and can resort to such a blatantly cruel act?
“Every resident in a housing estate has the right to keep one or two dogs at home.
“Everyone must respect this right," said Low adding dogs mostly bark at night when they detect outsiders coming into the area.
She said neighbourhoods are safe because of these canines, including the vicinity’s street dogs, that keep outsiders and suspicious people from trespassing into the area.
Low was referring to the poisoning of three pet dogs recently.
In the first case, a seven-year-old Golden Retriever named Summer was poisoned in Bandar Puteri, Puchong on Feb 12.
Apparently, people in the neighbourhood were so worried now that they have moved all their dogs into the house fearing their pets would be poisoned as well.
Summer’s owner Kong Kwan Tong, 65, said his dog died after eating chicken smeared with what appeared to be rat poison on Feb 12.
Kong added not long before the tragic incident, he had found a note, without the writer’s name, pinned to his gate saying that Summer’s barking was disturbing sleep at night.
“I have handed over the note to the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) officers," said Kong adding he had lodged reports with both the DVS and the police.
Kong said he also still kept a sample of Summer’s vomit, after she was poisoned, in his refrigerator in the event it was needed for the investigation.
According to Kong he also has a CCTV recording showing an individual going into the compound of the empty house next to his and believed the poisoned chicken was thrown inside his premises from there.
Kong also said that prior to Summer’s poisoning, about five of the neighbourhood’s street dogs were also poisoned much to the chagrin of the residents.
The other two dogs that were poisoned were a Belgian Shepherd and 9-year-old female Pitbull mix belonging to different families in Section 17, Subang Jaya.
The incident happened on Feb 16 and the owner of the Belgian Shepherd apparently has CCTV footage showing something being thrown into a compound just before he dog died.
Owners of both the dogs have lodged separate police reports.
A suspect can be charged under the Section 428 of the Penal Code or Section 30 of the Animal Welfare Act 2015 for alleged poisoning of animals.
If found guilty under the Penal code, he can be jailed up to three years or slapped with a fine or both and if found guilty under the Animal Welfare Act, he was liable to a maximum jail term of three years and a fine up to RM100,000 or both.
