(MY) touching tale

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Wednesday September 7, 2005 - The Star

 

 

Touching tale proves the worth of pet dogs

 

WE refer to your dramatic and moving account of how a highly depressed man

about to end his life changed his mind at the eleventh hour after he was

told that his pet dog was about to die, “Man gives up suicide bid for love

of his dog,” (The Star, Sept 5).

 

Rather than being a simply amusing story, we thought that your report dug

deep, and touched on the very core of why many Malaysians continue to have a

love affair with their pets, especially dogs.

 

The fact that love and motivation for the man’s pet surpassed what he felt

for his wife and children is not something to be taken lightly.

 

Rather, it speaks volumes about the uncanny and symbiotic relationship that

we as human beings share with animals – including our dependency on them as

lifelong companions for lasting happiness.

 

According to numerous modern scientific researches, dogs can do more than

just keep depression levels at bay.

 

They act as our lifeline by keeping our blood pressure in check, lowering

the heart rate to healthy levels, detecting certain types of cancers,

forewarning people about seizure attacks and giving the elderly and disabled

people the motivation to go on living.

 

At a time when the local authorities in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, according

to press reports, are drawing up new laws for dog owners, we hope that all

these positive points about pets will be taken into full consideration and

that any new law will not in any way undermine these wonderful canines from

doing their jobs effectively.

 

In the meantime, we applaud the members of the public for alerting the

authorities to the situation, the police and the Fire and Rescue Department

for their ingenious ways and attempts to rescue the man and, of course, dear

old Rover for having saved his master from a harrowing death.

 

Last, but not least, thank you The Star for your inspiring story, and we

feel this particular canine deserves an award.

 

Dr JON S SATYAMOORTHY,

Pro-tem President,

Malaysians for Responsible

Pet Ownership,

Kuala Lumpur.

(via e-mail)

 

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