Two caretakers at Malaysia’s Petknode pet hotel left 30 cats to fend for themselves during last year’s Hari Raya holidays. The cats were starving, dehydrated and covered in their own waste. Though the pair pled guilty on June 12, they only had to pay a RM200 (about 63 US dollars) for each of the 30 charges filed against them.
According to section 44(2) of Malaysia’s Animal Act 1953, animal offenders must be given a chance to pay a fine before being sentenced to prison time.
The caretakers' disgusting actions warrant much harsher punishment than a fine. Letting them get off with a light punishment gives other abusers carte blanche to treat animals as cruelly as they please. Furthermore, animal abuse often causes emotional distress to pet owners as well as the mistreated animals. Please urge Malaysian legislators to amend the outdated Animal Act to ensure harsher penalties for abuse.
Dear Malaysian Legislators,
We, the undersigned, were shocked to learn about the neglect of 30 pet cats left in the care of Petknode pet hotel workers. The pair left the cats starving, dehydrated and covered in excrement during the Hari Raya holidats, but were only fined RM200 for each of the 30 charges filed against them.
We understand that, according to section 44(2) of Malaysia’s Animal Act 1953, animal offenders must be given a chance to pay a fine before being sentenced to prison time. We believe that the pair’s acts of neglect warrant much harsher punishment than a fine. Letting them get off with a light punishment gives other abusers carte blanche to treat animals as cruelly as they please. Furthermore, animal abuse – as demonstrated by the Petknode pet hotel case – often causes emotional distress to pet owners as well as the mistreated animals.
Please consider amending the outdated Animal Act to ensure harsher penalties for abuse. Thank you for taking the time to read and consider our petition.
