M’sia community dog shot dead, animal rights group to sue district council

Malaysia community dog shot dead as part of state stray culling

Animal rights groups in Malaysia are looking to sue the Besut district council after a community dog was shot dead by one of its officers earlier this month.

The community dog, who goes by the name ‘Kopi’, was killed in the town of Jerteh in Besut District, Malaysia.

According to Free Malaysia Today, a coalition of animal rights groups intends to file a civil suit next week, seeking to hold the officers responsible.

Beloved community dog shot dead in state operation

In a post shared by the My Forever Doggo Facebook page, Kopi was described as a local sweetheart.

The dog took on the role of “big sister” for cats and dogs in the area. One clip even showed her playing with tiny kittens.

Angered by Kopi’s death, groups in the coalition are calling for the officer responsible to be charged under the Animal Welfare Act.

They also filed a police report against the district council on Tuesday (15 Oct).

“Stop murdering our stray dogs,” said a lawyer representing the group.

Council refutes claims

Meanwhile, the district council is refuting claims made by the coalition.

According to Malay Mail, the council president said the stray culling operation was in accordance with standard operating procedures.

He also refuted the claims that the authorities simply left Kopi to die after she was shot.

“Unfortunately, when our team attempted to retrieve the dog’s remains, they were prevented from doing so by certain individuals,” he said.

The council president also added that regulations allowed for the use of firearms to remove “dangerous or wild” animals.

Also read: Dog in Thailand gets head pierced by metal stick, allegedly shot by spear gun

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Featured image adapted from My Forever Doggo on Facebook and @sayalahtuu_ on TikTok.