Guest guest Posted July 3, 2006 Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 Seremban's Canine Carnage Electric News July 02, 2006 BULLETS were sprayed at them, and with frantic howls, the 13 dogs went down one by one. Spurting blood stained the floors and walls of the living room, bedrooms, kitchen and backyard of the single-storey terrace house in Seremban, Malaysia. Empty bullet shells littered the house after the carnage, Malaysian newspapers reported. The dogs had scuttled throughout the house to escape the gunfire, their flights of terror marked by a trail of faeces. As their barking ceased and the last whimper faded away, the officers and dog shooters from the Seremban Municipal Town Council started loading the dead dogs onto a lorry. It was only then that the female enforcement officers released their hold on Ms Eng Choon Mei, 56, and allowed her to enter her home. She broke down in tears at the sight of the dogs lying in puddles of blood. 'I'm not married and the dogs are my darlings. When I heard their pitiful barking, words could not describe the pain I felt in my heart,' she told China Press and Sin Chew Daily. As the officers drove off, Ms Eng's brother, the dogs' owner, returned home. Mr Eng Her Sun, 66, had earlier left with 10 of his dogs as he suspected a raid. (See report on page 4.) She did not dare to tell him what had happened as she was worried that he would not be able to take the shock. She said: 'It was only when he stepped into the house and saw the dogs' blood everywhere that I told him everything from the beginning.' Shortly after her brother had driven off, around 9am on Thursday, a group of 50 officers and dog shooters had arrived at their house in vans, lorries and on motorcycles. Ms Eng said she was doing laundry outside the house at the time. One of the officers had shown her a court order and demanded to be let into the house. He told her that they were there to enforce the court order forbidding her brother to keep his dogs at home. LOCKED FRONT DOOR Ms Eng immediately turned around and walked into the house. She padlocked the metal gate and locked the wooden front door. With the door slammed in their faces, the officers brought out lock cutters to remove the padlock. They then broke a hole in the door and entered the house. Ms Eng said she had tried her best to protect the dogs, but several female officers managed to drag her out of the house. 'Two dog shooters then went in to kill the dogs. At the same time, 10 officers assisted them by herding the dogs to be shot,' she said. The whole operation took half an hour.. http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,4136,109320,00.html ....................... Friend of stray dogs a bane to neighbours Straits Times 02 Jul 2006 Arni Abdul Razak SEREMBAN: To animal lovers, 66-year-old Eng Her Sun is a hero for giving stray dogs a home, but to some of his neighbours he is a nuisance. On Thursday, the Seremban Municipal Council (MPS) destroyed 13 of the 26 dogs living with him at his terrace house in Taman Desa Rasah. While the council’s action has caused an uproar among animal lovers who described it as cruel, some of the odd-job worker’s neighbours defended it. Zulkepli Idris, 59, who has been living in the area since 1983, said Eng had been nothing but trouble since he moved into the area. " He’s been staying here for about 10 years now. Initially, he had about eight dogs and they created so much ruckus, " he said. " Whenever we complained to the council, Eng would either threaten us or throw things into our compound. " The neighbours, he said, had lodged police reports over the years against the dogs. They also alleged that Eng had damaged their houses and compounds. Acting on residents’ complaints, the council obtained a court order last December to destroy the dogs. Another resident, Mazlan Mohd Noor, 53, said he hoped the council’s move would deter Eng from having more dogs. " Many of us do not feel safe on the streets and at the playground as there have been cases of residents being attacked by the dogs, " he claimed. S. Suresh, 38, who lives about 500 metres from Eng’s house, said his parents had been living in fear because Eng had allegedly accused them of killing his dogs. He claimed that when he complained about the dogs, Eng had threatened him and his family. Yesterday, one of Eng’s neighbours, Yusnita Mohd Yusof, 35, was quoted as saying that none of her neighbours had complained about the dogs. Yusnita said that the dogs did not make much noise, except when someone was standing outside Eng’s house or when provoked. She had also said that Eng would clean up after the dogs when taking them for walks. Robert Gan, 46, who lives a few doors from Eng, however, did not share Yusnita’s views. He said residents were worried about Eng’s next move. " He knows we are telling our stories (to the Press). Who knows what he will do next? " he said. Suresh said the neighbourhood had nothing against the dogs, but they just wanted Eng to leave the area. " The two houses next to Eng’s have been empty for years. We’ve had enough. We just want to live here in peace. " http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/Sunday/National/20060702092951/Article/in\ dex_html ....................... [Photo] Mr. Eng and the surviving dogs http://2.srv.fotopages.com/2/11167480/Real-Dog-lover.jpg ....................... Long feud over as dogs are relocated 03 Jul 2006 Straits Times Arni Abdul Razak SEREMBAN: The 10-year tussle between dog-lover Eng Her Sun and his neighbours at Taman Desa Rasah here is finally over. Eng, 66, had been worried about the safety of his 13 dogs after last Thursday’s incident when workers of the Seremban Municipal Council shot 13 others at his house. A group of animal-lovers, including some from the Independent Pet Rescuers (IPR) organisation, saw him yesterday and took 11 of his dogs to " a safer place " . " The neighbours are annoyed with him because he kept the dogs in a terrace house. " But he (Eng) is also living in fear because he is aware of his neighbours’ feelings and is constantly afraid they will harm his dogs, " said Sherrina Krishnan of IPR. " We feel it’s best that the dogs find a new home. " To defuse tension in the neighbourhood, the animal-lovers have found a farm in Dengkil, a 45-minute drive from Seremban, for the dogs. " Initially, we wanted to send the dogs to Animal Paradise in Johor but unfortunately the farm is full. " Thankfully, we found someone who’s willing to house the dogs until Eng finds a new place for them. " We told Eng to stick to the rules and only keep two dogs at home, " said Krishnan. Eng professed not to mind travelling every day to see his dogs, saying he is also considering moving out of the neighbourhood. " If anyone wants to offer their land to me and my dogs, I would be happy to sell my house (in Taman Desa Rasah) and relocate. " I have no one else here but my sister Lucy and the dogs, " he said, adding that his dream is to build a sanctuary for stray cats and dogs. S. Suresh, 38, a resident there, was relieved that Eng had finally agreed to take his dogs away. " I’m just happy the dogs are gone, " he said. " I hope he’ll keep his promise for the sake of his neighbours and the dogs. " A house is not a place to rear lots of dogs. Especially not 26! He should find a bigger place where they can run around. " http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/Monday/National/20060703090010/Article/in\ dex_html ....................... Dog lover only keeping two at home after 13 shot dead The Star Monday July 3, 2006 Beh Yuen Hui SEREMBAN: Dog lover Eng Her Sun has shifted 11 of his pets to a hut in Membau and now keeps only two canines in his Taman Desa Rasah terrace house here. Eng, with the help from volunteers of the Independent Pet Rescuers, yesterday transported the last batch of his dogs to the hut, located several kilometres from his home. The canines will be transferred to a temporary shelter run by a Buddhist group in a neighbouring state, in batches starting today until Eng can find them a permanent home. Most of his dogs are rescued strays, and at one time the 66-year-old retired bank clerk kept up to 35 dogs in his house. Last Thursday, 13 of Eng’s dogs were shot dead by an enforcement team from the Seremban Municipal Council acting on a court order, following numerous complaints from his neighbours over the years. Eng, who spent about RM800 a month on dog food for his pets, said he had been renting the hut for RM140 monthly over the past six months and had moved most of his 26 canines there following the December court order. “About two months ago, the council people came to know about the hut and warned me not to keep the dogs there illegally. I panicked and brought some of my dogs home again,” he explained. Seven years ago, Eng rescued his first dog, Wendy, a mangy stray which was roaming the streets looking for food and shelter. Wendy was among the 13 dogs shot on Thursday. “Now, I only keep Gypsy and Ah Long (dragon) at home,” said Eng, who is appealing for public help to save his dogs. “Ah Long was smaller than my palm when I brought him home two years ago. I am glad to see him grow so big today,” he said, adding that Ah Long’s brother – Ah Fook – was among those killed. Eng's nine dogs at the hut yesterday were Alice, Ah Girl, Tony Boy, Ah Fah (flower), Xiao Hu (little tiger), Hei Tou (black head), Jason, Ah Lan and Mother Dog. “I hope to find them a proper home away from the housing estate and am willing to start an animal protection shelter, but I don't have enough funds,” he said. Independent Pet Rescuers volunteer K. Sherrina urged the public to contribute land for Eng to continue with his humanitarian work in rescuing homeless animals. However, she reminded Eng to abide by the law and keep only his two licensed dogs at home. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/7/3/nation/14724454 & sec=nation --\ ---- Opinion Monday July 3, 2006 What did the dogs do to deserve such death? I AM appalled by the actions of the Seremban Municipal Council, which saw 13 defenceless dogs being killed mercilessly. I would support action against people who mistreat their pets and other animals. I would also support action against people who are inconsiderate to their neighbours. But what did the dogs do? Shouldn't we punish the offending owner rather than the dogs? In this day and age, do we still need to resort to such barbaric actions? Have the authorities never heard of humane ways to destroy pets? Lethal injection is one way. Although I am not an expert in legal and moral issues, I believe that a better way would have been to seize the dogs and deposit them at the local SPCA and held there until they are adopted or otherwise cared for by other parties, or until the SPCA decides to destroy them. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/7/3/focus/14724256 & sec=focus ............ Opinion Monday July 3, 2006 Owner to blame for putting dogs at risk DO YOU want to be a neighbour of a man who owns 25dogs in a terrace house? Ask this question before you complain about the killing of 13 dogs by the Seremban Municipal Council officers. My sympathy for the dogs but the officers have no other option. The man should blame himself for putting the dogs at risk. He should have settled the issue amicably if he really loved his dogs. Obviously, he had no respect for the neighbours or the enforcement officers. The officers were merely carrying out their duties as they were acting on court order and public complaints. I have one dog in a semi-detached house and yet there are so many complaints from my neighbours: noise, foul stench, hairball and so on. It is a lot of hard work to maintain one dog, but 25 dogs! I can say the neighbourhood must have suffered enough to make a complaint. Let the officers do their job or they will be reluctant to act when something like this happens to you. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/7/3/focus/14723492 & sec=focus ............ Opinion Monday July 3, 2006 Council officers had no option but to kill animals I REFER to the letter “Better to tackle dog issue gently” (The Star, July 1) by Lim Yew Choy who criticised the Seremban Municipal Council enforcement officers for being high-handed in killing 13 dogs in the owner’s house. This was a long standing issue and the owner had been given more than ample time to take his dogs somewhere else so that they would not be a nuisance to his long-suffering neighbours. In fact, he had done so but, after some time, he brought them back to his house. Perhaps he thought that the furore had died down. He was wrong! The council wanted to tranquillise the dogs. That would have been a humane way of doing things. The owner refused. The dogs and the owner also turned aggressive against the officers. Under the circumstances, what else could they do except to kill these dogs? Nowhere in his letter had Lim given any suggestions of how the matter could be settled “humanely”. Perhaps it would be interesting to know how he would have done the job under the circumstances. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/7/3/focus/14723409 & sec=focus ............ Opinion Monday July 3, 2006 Try other methods before shooting dogs in owner’s house BIVAI Special Dogs, an organisation which trains canines to help disabled and elderly people through physical assistance, therapy and companionship, is greatly distressed, shocked and appalled by the unmerciful action taken by the Seremban Municipal Council to shoot dead 13 of 25 dogs belonging to a pet owner, “Owner of 25 dogs tries to save pets from death” (The Star, June 30). The fact that the extremely cruel killings took place in the owner’s home and in a residential area is totally unacceptable in our society. It is not surprising why the owner and dogs turned “aggressive” in such a confrontational setting: in the dogs’ eyes, strangers and intruders armed with guns coming to harm their master, and the owner, doing his best to protect his animals which have been showering him with love. Even with all the “aggression”, the dogs could have been removed without violence if only the authorities had tried a different approach of luring the animals through food treats and others. The authorities should have exhausted all other means, even calling a psychiatrist to help the dog owner who could have suffered from an animal hoarding problem. They could also have used the expertise of animal welfare NGOs to re-house the dogs. Killing the dogs in front of children and youngsters will only help to perpetuate a violent society rather than try to build one of respect and love for human beings and animals. Some of those dogs could well have been rehabilitated to work with disabled and elderly people as companion dogs. We call for an immediate ban on shooting of dogs. ANTHONY THANASAYAN, and Trainer, Bivai Special Dogs, Petaling Jaya. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/7/3/focus/14713368 & sec=focus ............ Opinion Monday July 3, 2006 Image as civilised nation marred by incident I WOULD like to express my feelings towards the news of the killing of 13 dogs in the owner’s house, “Owner of 25 dogs tries to save pets from death’ (The Star, June 30). I am truly disgusted and heartbroken after reading the news. I could not believe that Malaysians could be so cruel towards these innocent and harmless dogs. I believe there is an alternative, like sending these dogs to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The way the Seremban Municipal Council enforcement officers handled the situation has tarnished our image as a civilised nation. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/7/3/focus/14713546 & sec=focus ............ Opinion Monday July 3, 2006 Convince owner to give up pets HOW cruel it was to have shot dead 13 dogs! Looking at the picture showing the dog owner bundling up his dogs in his car to save them, I felt so sad. The authorities should have convinced the owner to give his dogs away to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals or Paws. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/7/3/focus/14707784 & sec=focus ............ Opinion Monday July 3, 2006 Better ways to cull dogs I REFER to your report, “Owner of 25 dogs tries to save pets from death” (The Star, June 30). I am very sad and disappointed with the authorities. There are better ways to cull a dog, like putting it to sleep. If the owner has gone against the law, then the punishment has to be upon the owner. Eng Her Sun’s dogs should have been brought to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/7/3/focus/14707684 & sec=focus ............ Opinion Monday July 3, 2006 SMS your views >To shoot or not to shoot THIRD-world mentality in dog shooters. Trigger happy and shameful. What's Vision 2020 with this kind of attitude? Just a number? – Truth THE owner is to be blamed for the deaths of those dogs and not those who r merely carrying out the law. CAN MPS come to my neighbourhood in Tmn Paroi Jaya, Seremban, to kill hundreds of cats & chickens straying on the road? Why only dogs? – Sheila U KILL dogs 4 being a nuisance. Does this mean u can kill yr neighbours 4 being a nuisance as well? Pls don’t play god. Dogs have rights. SYABAS 2 SMC officers 4 doing yr job n don't close one eye 2 d other fugitive dogs. Go get them also. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/7/3/focus/14723823 & sec=focus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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