Before we spread any news about cruelty to animals, please be informed of the consequences

In the course of running AnimalCare, I sometimes receive requests from readers to spread the news of people who have afflicted cruelty to animals. Sometimes these news come with photographic evidence of the victims (the animals) and the perpetrators (the humans), along with the story of the cruel act.

While I understand that the intention to publicise such stories is good (ie. to stop the act), we must always be careful when spreading such news.

Please also be informed that it is in our policy that we will only publish requests with your full name and contact details so that interested parties may refer to you for more details about the incident/case.

Here are some facts to consider:

1. Did you see the cruel act yourself? If so, are you prepared to go all the way to see that justice is done?

2. Do you have any video evidence of the cruel act?

3. Sometimes, it could be a case of humans sabotaging each other and fabricating untrue stories due to revenge or business rivalry. Remember that photographs and even video clips can be doctored. Haven’t we heard enough of those?

4. If the cruel act (to animals) is reported to the authorities (the DVS), they will investigate and if found guilty, the perpetrator will be slapped a maximum fine of RM200 (only) while the animal (the victim) will be confiscated as “evidence” and may be eventually euthanised unless a shelter is willing to take over the animal. Are you prepared to be responsible for such consequences to the animal?

Guilty human is fined RM200, animal-victim is euthanised – Are you sure you want to report the case OR instigate others to report it?  Please think carefully.

I have heard of a case where a whole family of dogs (and puppies) was taken into custody by the authorities pending investigation of a cruelty case. Unfortunately, the whole family contracted a contagious disease at the holding area and were completely wiped out, even before the case was closed.

And there was another case of a lady who reported another cruelty case. The authorities came to confiscate the dog. The lady thought all was well. She did not know that the dog was eventually euthanised.

In view of the above, it may be wiser to just take the animals away from the scene of the cruelty, get the animals treated and make sure the animals do not go anywhere near the place of cruelty again. Remember that if these animals are released after being treated, they may go back to the same place again and it goes back to square one.

How does one take an animal away from the scene of the crime? If it is a stray, one could try enticing it with food. If it is an owner’s pet, one could try sweet-talking the owner to release the animal.

There was once a case of “mild cruelty” in my old neighbourhood. I chose to write a nice letter to the owner and dropped it into his postbox. That evening, the owner freed his cats (previously perpetually caged and they cried till they lost their voice) and brought them into his house. After a few months, they built a proper cat enclosure and since then, their cats play happily within that enclosure which occupies the breadth of the entire house.

Sometimes, being nice works. Sometimes, no. When it doesn’t, some will resort to drastic measures, but whatever we do, PLEASE have the animals’ best interest at heart.

So, while we appreciate the fact that many well-intentioned people might want to stop an act of cruelty to an animal, please consider the consequences of our actions. Let our priority be the animal’s wellbeing and let’s ensure that our actions will not bring harm to the animal.

Lastly, please be aware that false accusations can lead to lawsuits, and these are absolutely a waste of time and hard-earned money.