Wheelchair Protest At Police Station

Note: A true story from courtesy of Petpositive.

Press conference in Brickfields

NEARLY TWO DOZEN animal activists made their way to the police station to express their outrage and condemnation over a picture that has been wildly and widely circulating on the Internet recently where two youths are seen showing their finger and holding a strangled pup by a string.

Cruel and defiant: Just a joke?

The young men are smiling over the camera in shameless defiance over their action - as if to say that the killing of the innocent puppy was a notable achievement in one of their latest exploits.

The protest took place at the Brickfields police station in Kuala Lumpur at 10.30 this morning.

The police report and the press conference held immediately after was put together by several non-governmental organisations that champion animal rights and welfare in the country.

They are Roar, Maw, ILTC and Petpositive.

More than half a dozen of the protesters were persons in wheelchairs.

Speaking on behalf of Petpositive and the disabled group who were present, Anthony SB Thanasayan decried the act as a shocking and shameless act.

Shenaaz: Barbaric act

"What did the puppy do to deserve such cruelty?" he demanded. "A tiny and vulnerable pup like that could never have been a danger to anyone and it could have grown up and trained into a dog that could help the disabled or offer special companionship to the elderly.

Thanasayan is President of Petpositive, a national animal-assisted therapy society that uses pets as special friends for the handicapped and seniors.

"It's a most barbaric act," said Shenaaz Khan from Maw (Malaysian Animal Welfare). "The Department of Veterinary Services also deserves blame for being lackadaisical over animal cruelty issues resulting in monsters like this who can get away with murder realising that no one will come after them." She added.

Speaking for Roar, N Surendran described the incident as one of the worst in the country. He put the blame on the Government for not taking animal rights and welfare seriously.

Apart from the animal rights groups, there were also several lawyers who were animal lovers present.

Surihani's tweet

It is understood from one of the lawyers present that the picture first appeared on popular Malaysian actress Lisa Surihani's tweet. When the lawyer confronted Surihani on her tweet for details, the actress apparently refused to respond.

The protesters want the police to investigate on this case by questioning Surihani on relevant information in order to bring the culprits to justice.

The media who turned up at the press conference included The Star, The New Straits Times Press and Sinar.

Bernama TV also showed up and conducted an interview at the site.

Please write in and tell us what you think about the whole issue.

We have already received numerous reactions on our mobile and in Facebook.

Here are some of them:

"I came across your Blog through the Malaysiakini portal and was very upset watching the youths with the hanged puppy next to them.

I am an animal lover and have saved the lives of lots of dogs and cats. What can I do to protect animal rights in the country?"

> Zaid.

"I feel like hanging the youths just to see how they feel!"

> Grace Tan.

"They should be charged appropriately..and if I had it my way hung by their testicles!"

> Captain Isyak Ghani.

"Words cannot express how I feel just looking at the photograph. My hubby and kids are equally upset. These 2 youths will suffer for what they have done. Let God deal with them..it is an innocent life that they have taken and no one has a right to do so. Whoever who recognise these 2 should shun them for the shameful thing that they have done."

> Wendy Goh.

"What kind of a sick society are we becoming into?"

> Inderjeet Kaur

"Cruel!!!"

> Puvaneswari Narayanasamy

"I'm at a lost for words!"

> Maggie Mala Krish Muru

"Oh God...when who and where, why??"

> Daniya Subramaniam