PETALING JAYA: Animal welfare groups have urged the Malaysian Veterinary Council (MVC) and the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) to act against a veterinarian over the alleged abandonment of animals at a Damansara Damai clinic.
Animal rights lawyer Rajesh Nagarajan said the veterinarian should be suspended pending investigations and barred from practice.
“DVS must charge the vet immediately. They have had more than 10 days for investigations,” he said at a press conference here, along with several animal welfare groups.
“If no action is taken within 24 hours, we will protest. We will go to DVS Putrajaya and Parliament. The DVS director-general must resign if nothing is done,”
The case surfaced after photos and videos showing a dead dog and a cat inside the allegedly abandoned clinic went viral on social media.
A complainant known only as Jessie, whose dog died at the clinic, claimed she had sent the animal there in July after the veterinarian assured her the dog would be placed with an adopter.
On Dec 12, she said she received a call from the veterinarian claiming the dog had died and had already been buried, a claim she contests.
The DVS is investigating the case under Section 112 of the Criminal Procedure Code and has received 1,920 complaints over alleged animal neglect at the premises.
Police have also confirmed they are investigating the deaths.
Previously, the clinic owner said legal action might be taken against media outlets for spreading false information.
According to a Rakyat Post report, the veterinarian said accusations regarding the number of animal deaths and their causes were inaccurate.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
