ANIMAL lovers in Sarawak and Sabah have joined the chorus of condemnation against the Besut district council in Terengganu for shooting dead a stray dog known as Kopi early this month.
The inhumane shooting of Kopi is another clear sign that these voiceless animals are not getting the proper protection they deserve not just in Terengganu but also throughout Malaysia, including here in the Borneo states, they said.
A joint public statement condemning the killing of Kopi was signed by the Humane Animal Society Sarawak, Save Our Strays Kuching, Geng Pusak Jalanan Sarawak, Street Animal Rescuers Bintulu, Zero Strays Miri, Sibu Animal Rescue Society and Society for Independent Aid for Protection and Welfare of Animals Sabah.
"The killing of Kopi in Terengganu was unnecessary.
"The senseless and cold-blooded killing by the Terengganu local authority shows that animals in our country need urgent legal protection.
"We not only condemn the killing of Kopi, we also want to see those responsible be prosecuted by the law," the statement said.
The signatories called on the federal ministry responsible for the protection of animals to carry out an immediate investigation into the killing of Kopi.
Kopi was a friendly and harmless street dog that lived as a stray through no fault of its own and it did not deserve to be killed by such inhumane enforcement people, the groups said.
Netizens in the peninsular states have also voiced their anger over the killing of Kopi.
Kopi first went viral in March after she was caught playing with a stray kitten in a five-foot way by TikTok user AbbyRaz, which was viewed over 185,000 times.
Animal-lover social media account, My Forever Doggo (MFD), said that according to the witness, Kopi was known to be the ‘big sister’ for all the cats and puppies in the area.
An online petition demanding accountability from the council has also been launched. - October 17, 2024
