I came across this sad
video. Linked from Rano's if I have not mistaken.
Warning: The video consists of ain't-very-pleasing images if you know what I mean!!I too, had one of my dogs killed by poison. I still remember the day that dog of mine died.
At that time, coming back home meant being greeted at the gate by 2 of my dogs. Lucy the German Shephard and Bingo the mixed breed one. They'd run towards me. Occassionally they would jump up to me too. I'd then guide them to their dens first, so that I could drive my car in(Who knows, they might run out of the house and attack a passerby while Im driving)
Anyways, on that fateful day. None of them came and greeted me by the gate. I called for em. But still no response. Something really wasn't right. I searched and searched around the whole compound for em. Still no sound, no sight of em. Then among the bushes, I spotted one of my dogs. He was just sitting there in a guarding-something posture. I called for him, he just ignored me. Then.. I saw it. She(Lucy) was lying there, with her tongue out. Her tongue was black (indication of poison). She was all fine in the morning, running about and all. It was IMPOSSIBLE to be a natural death.
The sight still haunts me. I so wish I could bash the f*ktard that did this. She was innocent. All she did was guard the house. Never did she cause any havoc or was a potential danger to the neighbourhood. For your info, I never let her out of my compound. I just could not think of a possible reason why you harmed my pet.
That is the fate of dogs in Brunei I guess. I've heard of many more similar cases as to dogs being poisoned. Seeing the carcasses of dogs lying dead isn't a rare sight here. Sights of stones being thrown to dogs is pretty common too. I saw that with my own eyes too. Groups of Malay boys coming over just to throw stones at my dogs. I think it is one of the actions that Bruneians (esp children) do when they see dogs, besides shouting at them or some other 'trying-to-get-the-dog's-attention' action. I don't know, maybe they just want to provoke them to start a possible chase? Maybe they love the thrill of being chased by dogs. Ahh.. what if you lost the chase? Do you know the consequences?
"Some dogs just chase wah with/without provoking"
Yeah yeah.. I know,.. Its true. Some dogs are mad. But not all dogs are mad. I always get extra careful when I see a stray dog nearby. I'd try my best not to provoke it in anyways. Just for your info, running past a sleeping dog or a dog that is eyeing you is not a very brilliant idea btw. That would excite the dog and prompt it to chase you.
There were 2 recent cases of stray dogs attacking ppl. It seems to me that the media seems to be more to the victims'(The bitten one) side. I don't have proper proof of this but you know, animals(esp. unwild animals such as dogs), do not attack unless provoked.
" If it ain't provoked, then it must 'sot' liao lah. Its a 'sot' one that attacked"
OK a possibility. But wait, if 'sot', why not others are attacked? You the only one who lived in that kampong ah?
"No lah.. Many ppl live here lah"
How come, those attacked are always the younger ones eh? Ohh, they were attacked while going back to school? Mate, you do not have a car to bring ur child?
" No car bah "
No car ah? Means ur child walks to n from school very often eh? If yeah, means the stray dogs were sent from heaven on the very day he/she( i forgot) was bitten huh?
" No lah.. They were there long time sudah "
Har.. No? Meaning you saw dogs in that area already before? Meaning they aint crazy before. So meaning the dogs went crazy on the day it decided to bite ?! So how many did it bit that day?
" 1 eh. You saw the news reported one mah "
1? Ohh.. so it just went crazy on that particular time during the day. Walao.. u damn lucky lah. Hope over the border and go buy lottery man, Im sure no problem for u. Sap sap water. Kena liao, can buy car leh.
"Eh no.. maybe a few more. They attacked when the reporters went into jamban for toilet break"
-.-""
To be honest, other possibilities do exist too lah. I might be wrong. Anyways that is just what I think. The key to solving this problem is not to kill dogs whenever u see them and think of dogs as some crazy biting machine that chases anything down. I think the mentality of most Bruneians is already like that in this department.
Dogs have life too. They have the
right to live. Like the video said, "
Dogs do not know religion", and many other stuff that made sense.
The most applicable solution in this case is to take extra precaution when you see stray dogs, or enter into a house guarded by dogs. Keep in mind,
never to provoke them. If they still persist in barking or still have a i-wanna-attack posture. Be wise lah. Use another route, or wait till the dog leaves the area. Another more ambitious solution that is always mentioned would be to collect all the strays and place them on a piece of land, or let them be adopted. I really dread the day that the government comes out with a rule to kill all strays or all dogs! I really hope that would not happen.
Once again, please please please don't harm the dogs. Learn to love them, Brunei.
