I READ with sadness and horror the recent news about a man who killed a stray dog with his bow and arrow. The incident sparked much public outcry when the story went viral.
Research has shown that a person who exhibits psychopathic tendencies towards animals is inclined to commit similar violence against humans later.
His cruel act could also be considered an offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2015.
It was fortunate there was no mishap involving humans. Imagine what could have happened had he missed the dog and hit a child instead.
While it is not illegal to buy and own a bow and arrow, the authorities should impose some guidelines when it comes to the purchase and possession of these “weapons”. Perhaps, ownership should be restricted to those who belong to an archery club.
We should be grateful for the services that our furry four-legged friends provide for us. For example, some families keep these pets to guard their homes from trespassers and intruders as they cannot afford to install a closed-circuit TV or alarm system.
I also know of some senior friends that are living alone who keep a pet dog for companionship and for safety reasons. Little children can also be safe around certain breed of friendly dogs.
Dogs are also used by the authorities in crime prevention initiatives. The police K9 Unit trains dogs to capture criminals, for crowd control, search and rescue efforts, and other special operations. Dogs, are also used by customs and immigration officers to sniff out hidden drugs and other contraband of suspected drug traffickers and smugglers. Dogs can also be trained to detect firearms and explosives, and human remains of murder victims.
Thus, their usefulness and contribution to society must be recognised and appreciated.
While it is necessary to rid the area of stray dogs, it should be done in a compassionate and humane manner. The town council can round up the strays and send them to the dog pound.
Fortunately, our town has a local NGO that runs a dog shelter on the outskirts which takes care of about 200 dogs. Those that are too sickly and beyond medical help are put to sleep. Some members of a local religious body have offered to provide a decent burial so that the carcasses are not thrown into the rubbish dump.
Malaysians are generally kind to animals, so incidents of abuse and cruelty toward animals are rare. Nevertheless, the culprit who shot and killed the dog should be tracked, arrested and charged so this can serve as a lesson to other would-be “Robin Hoods”.
Every religion teaches us to be kind to these God-given creatures. Even though dogs are animals, they should still be treated humanely.
Peter Soo
Kluang
