This year alone, there has been quite a few cases of animal abuse. In January this year, a video leaked out onto social media, of a pet owner repeatedly torturing his helpless poodle for not being able to perform “tricks”. Two months later, another gory video surfaced, of a random person beating kittens to death in an alley, for no rhyme or reason. And those were just the reported ones. A lot more go unnoticed.
Two days ago, another wave of animal cruelty floods our media channels. Hundreds of pet owners entrusted their cats in the so-called loving arms of “Petknode”, a pet boarding facility, only to come home after a week-long Hari Raya break to their barely alive pets.
Let’s take a look at what the endless promises were, as posted by “Petknode”:
(Warning: viewer discretion is advised)
Empty claims to “keep cats in good care”, extracted from their website. “Good care” constitutes feeding the cats, for one, which is one of the most fundamental principles of animal care. Which the owners of “Petknode” have failed to accomplish.
They had the similar on their Facebook page.
“We provide 24/7 Good Care for cats while their owners are not around. Every boarding guest is accommodated in a Safe & Sound premise so that each enjoys the holiday be it for short or long stay where Privacy is guaranteed”.
It’s peculiar how the the words “Good Care”, “Safe & Sound”, and “Privacy” were written with such strong and believable emphasis.
Enticing “packages” were also posted on their blog, offering multiple services ranging from “free premium kibbles” to “free anti-fungal shampooing” to “free coat conditioning”. Right down to even “nail clipping”. One would imagine that his or her pet cat would be boarded like this (as advertised by “Petknode”):
It sure looks and sounds like your pet cat will be off on a spa plus boarding trip while you’re on your Hari Raya break. A holiday for all?
No.
Not quite.
Nothing can justify how these completely harmless, loved, and cared for cats can end up looking a whole lot worse off than your average strays.
Claiming to provide inexpensive “quality pet care” and boarding via their Twitter. For one thing, “quality pet care” also constitutes proper housing of the cat. Not stacked up and crammed into cages like these:
Two days ago, when “Petknode” failed to drop off the cats at the owners’ residences, calls were made to their Damansara Damai office. They were all unanswered. Which set off warning bells and angry messages flooded the social media channels. It alerted other owners who have boarded their pets at “Petknode”. These owners, together with several animal lovers and activists, stormed the boarding facility, only to be faced with the ultimate horror of all pet boarding horrors.
A total of 13 cats were found dead (yes, this includes kittens). A few cats had to be sent to the veterinarians for immediate treatment due to their serious condition. Some fighting for their lives. And more than 200 cats were found in deplorable conditions:
1. On the brink of starvation.
2. Dehydrated.
3. Depressed.
4. Shedding heavily.
5. Stank of feces.
These cats were left to suffer some whole nine days without food or water. Let alone grooming. The owners of “Petknode”, Yushari and Shahrul have since been taken in for questioning. Pet owners, animal lovers, and activists alike are all still awaiting news on the next steps by the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS). Currently, the Animal Act 1953 (2006 Amendment) states that anyone guilty of cruelty to animals would be liable to a RM200 fine or a six-month jail term or both.
Frankly, we hope fair punishments will soon be dealt to Yushari and Shahrul, for their mishandling of their business and inhuman “pet care”. This might not be the last of animal cruelty, but it will serve as a serious warning to animal abusers.