letter to the press on dog shooting

[Guest guest]

SAM is deeply disturbed at the increasing number of complaints of dog shooting

incidents

by Ipoh council officers and a similar complaint from Johor. Complaints of the

Council's team of dog shooters shooting dogs in the most inhumane manner, and

of dog shooters entering private

property without permission, are all too common. While it is understandable for

that the Council would want to rid the town of strays in the interest of public

safety and health, SAM does not condone cruelty and inflexibility on the part of

the officials.

 

In other countries it has been clearly demonstrated that killing is an

ineffective method of stray animal control. This method has been in existence

for years but is now discredited worldwide - both because it is useless in the

long term and it is inhumane.

 

The shooters are rarely good marksmen and the animals are often wounded instead

of being killed. And there is always the danger of a child getting in the line

of fire. Preventive spaying and neutering is the only proven method of control.

 

Shooting is almost futile as the stray population can breed fast enough to make

up the lost numbers. It takes only a few dogs dogs to have more puppies and

within six months they can start breeding themselves.

 

Clearly there is an urgent need for humane and effective management of the dog

colonies, the prevention of their reformation and the promotion of responsible

dog ownership.

 

Responsible dog ownership must be encouraged to prevent the replenishment of the

unowned

populations by irresponsible pet owners. Once the owned population has been

addressed, it must be recognised that there is already in existence an unowned

population which must be effectively and humanely dealt with.

 

Time and again the SPCAs and NGOs have called for bold, progressive measures to

end the city's stray dog overpopulation by a spay-neuter program rather than

killing. This seems to have fallen on deaf ears as the authorities failed to

implement a more efficient policy of study of the situation and does not believe

that a sterilisation program will successfully curb the stray proliferation.

 

Alas the shedding of the draconian mentality is slow-going. It is about time

the Council made it easy for all pets to be sterilised by the establishment of

low cost spaying clinics.

 

This could all end with humane education and getting people to spay and neuter

their dogs.

 

President

SAM, Penang.