Recently, a video of a stray dog getting shot and killed by a local council in Terengganu went viral, drawing criticism from netizens.
A post shared by the Instagram page My Forever Doggo claimed that a resident saw a local council representative in Terengganu allegedly shooting the dog, affectionately called Kopi.
The caption reads, “We are heartbroken to share that last Sunday (Oct 6), just two days after World Animal Day, this sweet homeless doggo named Kopi, who melted so many of our hearts with her gentleness, was shot by the local council in Terengganu.”
“A resident in the area (the witness) who knows Kopi heard loud gunshots. He rushed out of his home to find Kopi lying on her side, covered in blood and crying in pain. Sadly, Kopi passed away.”
My Forever Doggo said that according to the witness, Kopi was known to be the ‘big sister’ for all the cats and puppies in the area.
“She was known for her gentle nature and was completely harmless to anyone. This heartbreaking tragedy, especially since it isn’t the first time such an incident has happened, reminds us how important it is to keep speaking up for these homeless animals,” they added.
“There are more humane ways of treating them. Killing these homeless doggos does not change the situation, helping them does.”
The post has garnered attention and led to Malaysians condemning the local council for their acts.
Meanwhile, an online petition demanding accountability from the council has also been launched. The petition currently has over 9k signatures.
“This was not urban management but an act of unwarranted brutality. Kopi did not deserve her fate.”
“She deserved better measures for her and her street-bound companions,” said the petition on Change.org, which Cristabel Leo started.
Surely, there’s a better way to deal with stray animals, right?