SEPANG: A group of animal rescuers in Cyberjaya are alleging that unknown parties have made attempts to poison stray dogs.
Residents who have been feeding and providing medical care to the strays in the township, including neutering them, claim the number of canines has been dwindling since June.
Resident Hana Ghazali, 39, estimated that more than 30 strays which her volunteer group regularly fed at several locations, including Persiaran Sepang, Tamarind Square and Jalan Semarak Api, have disappeared.
“We have found several carcasses and many of the pups have been orphaned. Killing stray animals is an inhumane way to keep their numbers down.
“We have neutered many dogs to keep them from multiplying, which is a better way.”
Muhammad Abdul Razak, a 35-year-old primary school religious studies teacher and member of the group, said he once saw a female dog having seizures.
He also found packets of chicken meat believed to have been laced with poison next to it.
“I rushed the dog to a vet in Petaling Jaya for treatment, but it died hours later.
“The vet who treated the dog also suspected it had been poisoned.”
Muhammad then lodged a report with the Veterinary Services Department and the matter is being investigated. But the culprits behind the incident have yet to be identified.
“The department said closed-circuit television cameras in the area failed to capture images of those who might be behind the poisoning.
Muhammad said he had also seen a pick-up truck making rounds in the township.
The driver claimed to be a Sepang Municipal Council (SMC) officer looking for stray dogs.
Another resident, Azura Basar, 45, said she had contacted SMC several times to ask about the dogs’ disappearance, but received cold responses from the council.
She said SMC denied resorting to killing strays and said it merely rounded up the animals and kept them at a dog pound, where they are well taken care of, before sending them to shelters.
“However, they refused to reveal the location of the shelters and our requests to visit the dogs at the pound were also turned down.
“All we ask for is a more humane solution as the dogs are neither a threat nor are they fierce. They just hang around and wait for us to feed them.”
SMC councillor Sivakumar Periasamy told theSun that stray dogs rounded up by the council are sent to shelters two weeks after being housed at the pound.
He said there was an initial proposal to euthanise them but he strongly objected to it.
Sivakumar said SMC will never resort to cruel methods such as poisoning to control the stray animal population.
“I am a dog lover myself and I can assure everyone that SMC does not poison dogs. We capture and treat them humanely.
“SMC only goes out to capture the dogs when there are public complaints and we have received 2,000 to date.
Sivakumar said he will raise the group’s concerns at the next council meeting.