(MY) animal situation

[Guest guest]

The Expat: Society's barometer - The Malay Mail

Marybeth Ramey

Nov 20:

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One of the signs Malaysia is firmly on the path to a fully developed

country is the attention now being focused on the animal situation.

 

Stray animals and animals in general are a barometer of how far a

society has advanced.

 

When I first came to Asia and lived in Shenzhen, China, I almost went

back home to the US, because I simply could not bear how they treated

their animals.

 

In Taipei, it was worse with a religiously-garbed person at every

corner having a large dog chained to a one-foot long lead.

 

In Phuket, on the second day, as we were settling into the five-star

resort my husband was the general manager of, he asked two staff

members to shoo away a dog which was laying near the pool.

 

The two men beat the dog to death. This was the accepted norm and when

my husband remonstrated with them, they didn't have the slightest idea

of why he was so upset.

 

I have lived in Malaysia now for nine years, starting in Seremban. I

would drive by link houses and see small cages with large, skinny and

vicious dogs inside barking unceasingly.

 

One day, I asked one of these owners why they had the dogs in the

cages and they said it was for security. Huh?

 

When I moved to Bangsar in Kuala Lumpur five years ago, my heart was

broken every time I saw yet another stray cat, usually pregnant with

obvious kitty leukaemia and end stages of mange, as they would seek

shade under double-parked cars on Jalan Telawi.

 

I have brought countless stray kittens to the Bangsar Veterinary

Clinic and Surgery to be put down.

 

Every so often, a special little nipper would catch my eye and I'd

take it home.

 

But I am disabled with a titanium rod in my spine and cannot bend

over. I'd end up having to take them back to Dr Tan Ai Lin to be put

down.

 

When I brought in five-month-old " Bangsar " , Dr Tan, whom I think is

one of the finest people in this country, by the way, cried with me as

she murmured a prayer for his soul as he died.

 

There are two public animal sanctuaries in KL now; PAWS and SPCA. The

people involved with both are the kind of human beings one associates

with the crème de la crème of any society.

 

They are deeply caring for not just their fellowman, but for all

creatures of this wonderful world we live in. It is extremely

frustrating for them as they try to educate people about neutering

their pets and to dispel common myths.

 

Medicine, de-worming procedures, vaccinations against aids, leukaemia

and cancers, and most importantly, neutering, do not fall out of the

sky and land on the cat or dog which needs them.

 

It is cruel to let an animal loose anywhere but at a clinic, a

specific refuge or a verified 'good' home.

 

But like in so many areas of developmental concerns, Malaysia is

moving ahead at jet speed. I give a lot of credit to the local dailies

for continuing to highlight these issues.

 

In just five years, I have witnessed almost an entire society change

its mindset over deep-rooted customs and animals are now on the

agenda.

 

I love the way Malaysia has learnt to publicly debate its problems and

shortcomings and in unison seek solutions.

 

This is why I have chosen to live here permanently, because it is

here, that I really do see democracy in action. Meow and ruff ruff!