Animal lover Yim, pictured here with some strays in the Island Glades area, says his neighbours had found numerous dead dogs around siince March.
GEORGE TOWN: A dog killer is suspected to be on the prowl after 29 strays were found dead in the Island Glades area over the past month.
Animal lover David Yim said on Sunday (April 2) alone, four dogs were found dead and another on Tuesday (April 4).
Plastic bags of food believed to be poisoned were near the carcasses, he added.
"Several dog feeders have lodged reports with the police and state Veterinary Services Department.
"I hope they will investigate thoroughly and take action against the dog killer.
"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.
Yim said not only dogs were affected as birds had also died after eating the poisoned food.
He added that the Animal Welfare Act 2015 had specific sections dealing with these offences, namely Section 29 (pertaining to animal cruelty), Section 30 (killing of animals), and Section 31 (administration of poisons).
"Any person found guilty (of an offence under the Act) can be fined not less than RM20,000, with the maximum fine being RM100,000, or face a maximum three years’ jail, or both," he said.
He added that he did not understand why anyone would want to do such a cruel thing as the dogs had not hurt anyone.
"The dead dogs have been neutered or spayed under the Penang Island City Council's 'Trap, Neuter and Release' programme where all captured dogs are neutered and vaccinated against rabies before being released."
Yim added that dogs provide humans with companionship and love, and should not be treated this way as they were also used for search and rescue operations.
In February, Malaysia's tracker dogs Denti and Frankie were sent on their first mission abroad, less than two months after their high-profile search and rescue job during the landslide at Batang Kali near Genting Highlands that killed 31 campers.
Both Denti, a labrador retriever, and English springer spaniel Frankie were put on an 11-hour flight to Istanbul, before being dispatched to southern Turkiye for their mission to locate earthquake casualties and survivors in 12-hour shifts.
They managed to discover and rescue five members of a family who had been trapped under the rubble of their residential building for six days.
On March 31, an 18-year-old, who was seen abusing dogs by striking them and even lighting one on fire in viral videos in Johor, came forward to make a public apology.
In a 45-second video posted under a Facebook username Braden Yap, the youth admitted what he had done was wrong and hoped that the public could give him a second chance.
"I understand no matter how I explain, I should not have done that. I admit that it was my mistake and regret it.
"I am very sorry and promise not to make a similar mistake in the future. I hope that everyone could give me another chance.
"I will also pay for the medical expenses (of the injured dogs)," he said in the video.
