AN animal rights activist has called on the veterinary authorities to investigate those who attribute acts of animal cruelty to simply an oversight of judgement.
This follows another incident of a man, who was captured on video dragging his pet dog along a road in Bukit Mertajam.
It is the second incident of its kind, as earlier in August, another man was caught dragging a stray cat with his truck.
Although both persons in the videos have since clarified and apologised that it was unintentional, animal rights activist Agnes James feels an in-depth investigation needed to ensure there was no real animal cruelty involved.
She urged the veterinary services department to thoroughly probe whether the dog was intentionally harmed or it was a genuine oversight.
"In all fairness, it may be a genuine lapse in judgement on the part of the pet owner but this is the second such case in Penang. We may need a further investigation."
The man in Bukit Mertajam has since apologised for accidentally dragging his dog along a road after the incident was caught on video.
Bukit Mertajam police chief Helmi Aris said the man filed a police report about the incident at 12.41am yesterday after it had gone viral online.
He said the man, who owned the dog apologised for his blunder which led to the animal being dragged along Jalan Kulim.
The driver realised what had happened only when he was alerted by someone that the dog was tied to the back of his car at a traffic light.
His wife explained that her sister had tied the dog to the car to prevent it from wandering.
Helmi said that the man had rushed the dog to a veterinarian after being alerted.
The case is nonetheless being investigated by the cops under the Animal Welfare Act 2015.
James said that such incidents can also be traumatic to the people who witnessed it, saying that no human should tolerate intentional acts of abuse towards animals.
In August, Nibong Tebal police chief Chong Boo Khim clarified that a report was lodged to dispel a perception online that a stray cat was abused after a video showed the feline was dragged from behind a truck in Simpang Ampat.
Chong said that the investigation revealed the complainant was on his way to an animal clinic after finding the stray near his housing estate.
“He took the cat to be spayed at a nearby clinic. On the way, he was unaware that the cat, which he had placed behind his four-wheel vehicle, attempted to jump out and was left hanging by a leash tied around its neck. It was only upon reaching the clinic that he noticed the situation and immediately removed the leash,” Chong clarified.
James also urged the Penang Island City Council and the veterinary authorities to reveal if there was indeed a deliberate attempt to poison strays loitering around neighbourhoods such as in Tanjung Bungah. - September 30, 2024.
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