KUALA LUMPUR: A former Manjung councillor has claimed that the practice of capturing and shooting dogs in Sitiawan, Perak, before dumping them in a pit has been going on for years.
The former official, Khairil Azhar Khairuddin said he previously engaged with the Manjung Municipal Council to address the issue.
"They catch the dogs, don't feed or give them water. They pack them tightly into a small cage, as many as they can fit," he told the New Straits Times.
"This is still happening now. They are also taking the dogs deep into the forest, far from human sight, and do the same thing (shoot and leave them in pits)," he said.
This follows NST's report yesterday that dozens of dog carcasses, along with live puppies, were left in a pit after allegedly being captured and shot by local council officers in Sitiawan.
Shocking videos, taken by Khairil's animal activist acquaintance, showed some of the dogs—some still wearing collars—discarded in a roughly four-foot-deep hole at a rubbish disposal site.
Some of the puppies could be heard whimpering, unable to escape as they were left to die among both fresh and decaying carcasses.
NST has been attempting to obtain comments from Manjung Municipal Council president Muhammad Faizal Shah Safian Suri since yesterday, but he has yet to respond.
Khairil today said he has also heard about council officers entering private properties to capture dogs.
He said the council has not engaged activists in the area on managing the dog population.
Last month, public outrage erupted after a stray dog named Kopi was shot by local council authorities in Terengganu, just two days after World Animal Day.
The death of the dog, known among locals for her harmless and gentle nature, sparked an uproar among Malaysians after videos of the dying dog, left bleeding, circulated on social media.
Kopi's killing also attracted international media attention.