Thursday, September 11, 2008

Heartless people!!

Gosh I'm so mad! Can't believe there are people who are so inhumane.. and they are living in my neighbourhood!

This is not the first case of dog cruelty that happens at my place - my longer readers (esp. dog-lovers) may remember that plight of my neighbour's Goldie Jasor and how there was a war. But what I discovered tonight made me even angrier!!

A neighbour a street away locked his dog inside the garbage compartment (I don't know what you call it but it's the small space when you put your garbage for the garbage collector to collect!!) for god-knows how long!

Yes, they actually put the poor dog inside a space like this (I just took a pix of our garbage compartment)


The dog - a small/scrawny but very sweet mixed breed - looks like a cross between Pomeranian/Spitz - is always tied up with a short metal chain at the front gate! I remember once at night, I tried to ring the door bell as the dog looks like she can't move! But no one came out.. and then another time, dad told me he saw the dog being tied outside the gate - the chain so short that it almost choke her.. and he went to release her! :)

Just more than a week back, when I brought my dogs for walk at night, finally I saw someone watching TV inside the house while the dog was chained to the gate again. So I called and spoke to the girl. The first thing she said was: `the dog could squeeze through the gate' and that `the dog is not theirs but she kept coming here so the family sorta adopted the dog.'

But I told her even if you didn't buy the dog, and even if the dog can squeeze herself out of the gate, you can't tie her up 24/7 - and worst still using that kind of metal leash whereby it can tangle up and the dog can even be strangled! I suggested that they built a small dog house for the dog then.. She didn't argue then but said she would talk to her father about it.

Well, things didn't change.. only over the weekend when dad and I walked the two Js that we saw the poor dog there again, and a young boy was around so we took the chance to tell him again not to tie the dog like that. He didn't seem to understand (but he's in his teens already!) The poor dog - her name was Kitty according to the boy - was so tangled up that I had to do something - so I told the boy I would release her to untangle the leash. I did, and Kitty proved to be an active dog - ran around the garden and finally even squeezed throught the gate!! Oops but she did return soon..

So yes, she can `escape' from the house compound easily... unless they really build a house for her.. I think her fate would not change. But I never imagined they could do something even worse!!

Just now, my maid and I took the two Js for a walk after dinner and I wanted to introduce Kitty to my maid - and ya, Kitty and the Two Js have become pretty good friends. But when we went towards their house, Kitty was missing at the gate. The house too, looked empty. My maid even said maybe they put her in a dog house in the backyard.. but I was dubious.

Trust Jelly to shit in front of the house so when we're cleaning up after her.. we heard Kitty's bark! And horrors!! The sound came from the garbage compartment!! She was inside there and there was a padlock so that no one can open (but the owner with the key of course) No wonder their garbage bags and dustbin were outside..

Poor Kitty, I feel so sorry for her for being `adopted' by such sick owners!! For so long, she has been so used to being incarcerated that she wasn't even making much noise. It was only when other dogs in the neighbourhood started barking that she barked a bit. Gosh! I so wanted to rescue her.. Of course the first thing after I discovered she was locked in there was to press the doorbell!

But no one was at home.. And I couldn't unlock the lock.

I was so incensed that when I saw two people living two doors away walking out with their toy poodle (which made lots of noise) I asked them about that inhumane neighbour as well as told them what happened. Although being a dog owner, they seemed quite apathethic about it. But when I say I would definitely complain, the girl said I could write a letter and put it in their letter box. The guy said that family are usually not in, they go out early in the morning and return late at night! I shudder to think of how long poor Kitty has been put inside there!?

Then I thought.. could it be that after my dad and I spoke out against how they tied up their dog, that they thought THIS would be the `solution' so that the neighbours won't see them tying up the dog??

I know I just can't remain silent.. So now I think I'm going to write a letter to them- do it the most civic way first. But I must also choose my words carefully I guess.

Sometimes, confrontation is necessary. Unfortunately for Jasor's case, I only kinda helped him getting a big house/prison..

But locking up your dog inside a smelly garbage compartment...this IS cruelty to animal!!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Jess,

It makes me sad to think that these people do not care of what happens to the dog. My advise would be to take the dog away from them (since they say it's not theirs) and put it up for adoption. Either that you might want to consider sending it to Furry Friends Farm in Kundang (their website can be found when you google, run by Sabrina) whereby you need to pay a minimal amount for boarding until they can rehome the dog. I am just afraid that talking is not going to solve anything since you have talked to them many times. These people are not dog lovers. If they are they would not do what they are doing now. I am also afraid that SPCA do not have the space. Furry Friends Farm have a no kill policy. You can call them up and talk to them, see what they say. While waiting to rehome the dog, we can all help to send sms, pictures, etc. to try to find a good samaritan who will take the dog in.

jesscet said...

anonymous: thanks for the advice. So far, i had few ppl telling me to report to SPCA which i will consider also. But taking the dog away from them is not a good idea since they feel they're the rightful owner (Kitty's got a collar)..

I feel I've done my first part in the letter of warning (but constructive advice included). If they chose to ignore totally.. i will go on a more stern step of reporting them / getting help from furry friends.

p.s. may i know what's your name? (or at least a nick?)

Anonymous said...

Hi,

I was thinking, if the reason for the owners to tie up the dog is because he can squeeze thru the gate, why don't suggesting him putting up those plastic/ metal mash for the gate so the dog wont run out easily. If i am not mistaken, my neighbour told me she brought the plastic mash for less then RM10 in hardware shop. It's cheap, and at least the dog gets to run around in the house compound since its an active dog. Furry Friends Farm will be another good alternative, but i am not sure whether the owners will be happy that you take away their dog. After all, its neighbours and it will be good if there's harmony neighbourhood.
Maybe you can try suggesting or buying the mash on behalf since is less than RM10, for the sake of the dog?

jesscet said...

grace: thanks for thoughtful and constructive suggestion. Yes, i am actually thinking of doing that (another friend also suggested I could buy the mash) and just hope they are reasonable enough to accept and do something for the dog's sake!

p.s. i forgot to mention that we live in a gated community and my dad is one of the shareholders of the development so I really don't want to cause trouble for him or our family.. but yet I can't just ignore and do nothing!!

Kimberly Low said...

i feel so angry just reading about this! i hope they will take heed of your letter and make Kitty more comfortable. sigh i don't understand why people with no capacity to love/carefor a dog would want to keep one. it's so selfish! do keep us updated on Kitty, thanks jess

jesscet said...

kim: i know! unfortunately they have not taken heed at all (read my update) so i've reported the case to SPCA and hopefully next week they will take some action. Thanks yeah for your concerns..

Anonymous said...

Hmmm....those ignorant people/owners of poor Kitty! How can they just lock (and i mean locked) poor Kitty like that in that smelly and dirty garbage compartment?! U must really do ur best to free Kitty. I support u 100%! Yeah, Furry Farm is good as well as the SPCA. Or mayb u can foster it till u find a good home for it. :)