FIFTEEN individuals and four non-governmental organisations lodged reports at Skudai police station yesterday against the Johor Baru Central Municipal Council (MPJBT) over its treatment of stray dogs here.
Malaysia Independent Animal Rescue (MIAR), Johor Baru Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Companion Animal Rescue Effort Society (Cares) and Petpositive were the four NGOs that lodged the police reports.
Among the individuals who lodged the report was G. Suhanthan, 28, who had on June 9 made the first police report after witnessing the incident of MPJBT officers bludgeoning seven strays to death with an iron rod.
Suhanthan had recorded the horrific event on video and uploaded it onto Facebook.
He claimed that so far no investigating officer had contacted him even though the video clip went viral on the Internet.
MIAR founder and president Puspa Rani, who was also at the police station, said MIAR has received numerous emails from animal lovers nationwide.
"As far as I know, about 30 police reports have been lodged over the video from animal lovers throughout the country.
"Which is why I am here today," she said after lodging the report at the Skudai police station.
Puspa also said it is a criminal offence under Section 428 and 429 of the Penal Code which states that an offence is committed if "a person commits mischief by killing, poisoning, maiming, or rendering useless any animal of the value of five ringgit or upwards". The offence is punishable with an imprisonment of two years, or fine, or both.
"No dog catchers can kill a stray in any manner without a certified veterinarian.
"Even if the dog is put to sleep by lethal injection, only a veterinarian knows the lethal dosage," she said.
Puspa said that if she failed to get a satisfactory response from the council or relevant agency, she will be bringing the matter up to the complaints bureau in the Prime Minister's Department.
Puspa further said representatives from the Department of Veterinary Service (DVS), who were also at the police station, had told her that the MPJBT did not have a veterinarian.
"So how were the strays put to sleep in Johor over the years?" asked Puspa.
The DVS representatives, however, declined to comment on the matter. A call to the DVS office to get the comment of the department's director also proved fruitless.
MPJBT also could not be reached for comment.
MPJBT corporate and public relations department administrative officer Salwa Abd Rashid was quoted as saying that the council did not shoot nor clobber strays to death.
On Monday, MPJBT when contacted, had said that they would investigate the matter.