A dog’s life… and death

Comments (63)

1. The same thing has happened to us, the “irresponsible folks” are no one other than people from Jabatan Bandaran in pick up as spotted by neighbours while we were out. They actually come into our compound and threw poisoned meat killing ALL the puppies. Explain yourself for trespassing and murdering the puppies in MY compound. Who sanctioned this?

2. I suspected the same

3. For God’s sake, stray dogs or not, they are living creatures

4. Cruel, just so cruel.

5. I bet u this is happenings everywhere in brunei. In reality , it goes down to how we potray them, all the dogs attacks, dogs as monsters, but it’s just one sided. We need proper actions from authority and YES HUMANELY. Condolences to the dog’s master….

6. i don’t know if the dogs were poisoned but could it be rabies .. as they were foaming in their mouths & jerking before they died. but you should see the other side of the picture…stray dogs killed our house cats & other pets…. and even the dog owners let their dogs out at times, and they roam to kill owners of lovely innocent cats. & of course, they have attacked people as well before. innocent children, some severely to the point they are hospitalised.. … what you read in the papers is just the tip of the iceberg..

   We would love for the municipal to solve this stray dog issue, in the meantime, people who love their cats and of course our people who love our neighbourhoods, MUST TAKE action… now..

   Cat Loves Liberation Front ( CLLF )

7. We need to *educate* these people… Just dont know what to say… million of thoughts… *speechless*

8. What if we really are living in a speck?

   Big or small living things have a right to live. Earth is not just for humans.

9. CLLF is talking out of its *ss

10. It’s inhumane. It happened to 2 of my dogs, so loyal, so loved, but the cruelty…….
    We need to have a professional centre, which deals with pets in a humane way. Like RSPCA Australia, where stray pets and animals in general are protected and handled the morally right way. http://www.rspca.org.au/

11. Last year I saw a dog hang down from a simpang pole near my house. The dog had a rope round its neck, suspending it. There was also a note tied up to it says “Kuyok siapani yang makan sampah di rumah ku”. The image of the dog is still in my head and its traumatizing to know that humans (my neighbours) have the heart to do this.

    1. That is a really stupid and barbaric way of dealing with the dog. It wasn't the dog's choice to be roaming around as a stray anyway. I hope something bad happens to them so that they realise how cruel they were!

    2. Im a 16 yrs old teen Living in Jalan Bengkurong Masin..

       30th May 2011 i came home from school at 7.30pm with my mom and found my 4 dogs dead..

       Someone poisoned them! And Im sure its the indon workers near my place.. coz i got no neighbors other than them.

       I tried to save my 1 pup, Lexie. But i failed. 🙁

       The murderers even left a plastic bag infront of my gate..

       Barney, Chloe, Rudy and Lexie, theyre my dogs.

       I got barney, 6 months old, from an animal shelter here in Bru.. Me and my parents adopted him.

       Chloe, an 11 months dog ws given to me by an expat here … Rudy and Lexie, they were jst a puppy.. both 2 months old..

       Why do they need to do such thing like this?

       :”””(

       its not like my dogs disturb them..

12. I once had a loving loyal dog. My dog was murdered by poisoned food threw in front of the house too. This usually happen every 2-3 years..when most dogs in one kampung would be poisoined to death.

    Just so to let some of you know.. I was onced saved by my dog from a pack of stray dogs chasing me while I was walking back home. I screamed and my dog came to my rescue chasing the strays away..Not all dogs are what you imagined them to be!

13. This post really sadden me, as a Muslim, it never crossed my mind to inflict such cruelty to God’s Creatures, regardless of their species. even when some stray dogs enter my house compound and terrorize my many cats, i just chased them away and by keeping my cats in their safe place (cages). Its not their fault, they most probably just hungry and came looking for food.

    Once at night stray dogs came and killed my bunnies, BUT IT IS MY FAULT as a pet owner for not keeping my bunnies in safer place. sigh.

14. Rest in Peace David’s Dogs …

15. Pingback: Brunei’s No.1 Social News » Blog Archive » .Marina, here I come.

16. We need legislation that puts these people behind bars!

17. May Allah bless the dogs who died in the video. All animals (including dogs!) go to Heaven. Who ever is responsible for the killing, Allah will punish them. Dogs are created by God. It’s doesn’t mean Muslims must hate them. The main reason why Muslims cannot touch dogs is due to rabies. But if the dog is clean, healthy, dry and vaccinated, we can touch them. I am a Muslim and I touch and hug dogs. I love dogs so much. And cats too. Dogs are amazing creatures. Whatever happen to the kids being mauled by dogs is an accident. These are all a test from God. But that doesn’t mean we have to punish the dogs and torture them. The dogs are strays, they are hungry, traumatized and have no where to go. It’s not their fault. Its our authorities who should look after this problem. Strays must be taken and kept in a dog pound. Hire non-Muslims to clean them, vaccinate them and give them to proper, loving home for free. That’s the ONLY solution. In the meantime, it is encouraged to sterilize pets so that we can control the animal population. It should be done free at the government vet. If this inhumane killing continues, I would have no choice but to contact PETA or RSPCA.

    Now that the coming Hari Raya, people are already starting to sell fireworks. It is not my favorite time of the year. I am 100% against the use and sale of fireworks. People playing fireworks are so selfish and irresponsible. Using fireworks to celebrate Hari Raya, is not the Islamic way. I am sad for animals who have to suffer from the noise. Dogs especially can detect an earthquake or tsunami before it happens. Imagine how they feel when they are near fireworks. Imagine worst enough if they are in a cage, or tied around the neck. Only God knows how they feel. May Allah protect all these animals who are affected by it. I am traumatized just thinking about it.

18. How horrible and inhumane! I had a slight feeling that the accidents of the young lads in Rimba would escalate?
    In my first year here in Brunei I was told of many stories of how dogs would be poisoned and all that, but never thought much of it till I saw this video. I too have dogs, 2 females, lovely companions who are loyal and loving, ok they may not be the most prettiest or obedient but like most dogs, regardless of who you are and what you look like, their love is unconditional.
    My heart goes out to David and his dogs, as well as other dog owners who have been through the same saga. I have had many dogs but never seen or been through anything like this? I guess simply because where I come from you’ll end up behind bars for such act[s].
    Don’t get me wrong I love Brunei, I’ve been here for about 6-8 years and I hope to stay here a bit more, but this is one of the set backs of this place is the treatment of animals especially DOGS.
    Yes I agree with ‘Mariana’ there should be a RSPCA or something rather to help solve this issue of strays. I hear that their is an animal shelter program happening in Brunei, that’s awesome! I take my hat off to them for trying to make a change by providing shelter and food for some of the strays who are out there…

    But I guess another way to approach this could be to educate the public about dogs. I remember when I was in Primary school, and we had police men come in and talk about dog attacks and dog behavior. This was awesome, because like many children some are afraid when they see a dog, even worse when they start barking or growling, it helped me understand why dogs do what they do which gave me confidence to be around dogs.
    We have to remember dogs are territorial, like most animals, and they also have jobs [believe it or not] like most people and one of their duties is to protect their master and household and if they see anyone who is a threat [like David said] they will do what ever they have to do to eliminate that threat, most of the time by barking and warning their master.

    I love dogs, I have grown up with one since I was young and to be honest I can’t really live without one, they are pure in heart, trustworthy and loyal! They are there for you always, and will listen to any crap you tell them, most of all they are excellent companions… So please People, just leave them be!

19. This is disgusting. It made me cry.

    People in this country really need to grow up, David you should take some serious action, because this video is proof that these things happen! I will definitely definitely support the cause x100.

    I hope your other two dogs stay safe, I feel so sorry for them and the two that died, this shouldn’t happen to any animal, dangerous or not.

20. I just saw the end (slow to load sorry!), I can’t believe all four died.

    Now I’m REALLY DISGUSTED.

21. This video saddens me to the bottom of my heart.

    Not only dogs can be blame for such actions.

    I also would like to point out that CATS are also one of the problem.

    For example, what is with this new MUFTI LAW saying that spaying the animals are considered HARAM because we are going against NATURE.

    Come on, if you want to control the population of these animals, obviously you need to spay them, they know nothing about sex education or what not. They just act according to nature.

    The only way to control these populations for God’s creatures are to sterilize them to help them as well as help us.

    I hope the responsible authorities would consider changing the new MUFTI LAW in these matter.

    We live in a muslim country, that doesn’t mean that DOGS are the only problem. What about those stray cats which causes problems for those who have problems with it.

    The authority should seriously consider and think twice about these matters.

    My suggestion is to open up a government vet at a lower vets fee which could cater sterilization pro gramme for these less fortunate animals(Dogs & other animals) who knows no education, religion, language and etc.

    Help them to help YOU to help US!

22. This topic is getting more serious.. Now it goes deep down to religion, belief, politics, personal, etc. For me, it doesn’t matter what your religions are and which country you came from. We are all belong to humanity – that what matters most.

    I am against animal killing as well as cutting the trees and destroying the forest. These things will affect everyone in the long run. Vegetarians, naturalist, environmentalist and different religions and practices surely have different views on this matter and this is a long-stand issue/argument.

    Cursing is no good, discrimination is not good either. The one who curse is putting more negative energy and inviting evil. I do believe in karma – good karma and bad karma.

    Dogs and cats are considered pets. Monkeys, crocodiles and snakes are considered wild animals. Cows, chicken, lamb, pig, fish, etc are considered food to most people. The point is they are all animals, and we, humans are in higher level should understand them, should take good care of our environment and habitat. Everyone has a right to live.

    There is a similar instinct that human and animals have. That is to defend themselves, determine danger, and to attack back. All animals will not just bite or sting without any reasons. There are some news that a crocodile has been seen in the house of kampong ayer residents, there are some houses infested by monkeys or snakes. Don’t you know that, the place where you live was a part of those animals habitat ancient years ago? Forests has been destroyed and peaceful life of wild animals have been disturbed. If your own house has been attacked or is about to destroy by anyone, what will your reaction be?

    We are so lucky that these animals couldn’t talk our language and no brains like human have. There are so many living things on earth, there are others that we couldn’t see – either microscopic or unseen.

    Wake up. We can change the reality , educate ourselves and plan for better future. Think big, think wider and don’t just focus on one issue, there are a lot of things we need to settle and environmental problems to solve.

    Peace to everyone.

23. I totally agree with “Anak Brunei” in that he mentions that dogs, or any other “stray” animal for that matter should be handled in a more humane way. For a small country, Brunei has a massive population of stray animals, dogs and cats reguardless For that matter, we really need to have ways to help stray dogs and cats so that they can either be “sterilized” or put in special dog “Pounds” and be able to be placed in an “adoption” programme or something… As it is saddening to hear about stray dogs attacking children, nevertheless, its no excuse to randomly start killing dogs, stray or not! Where I live, there is a group of stray cats actually living with stray dogs! and they seem to get along just fine together and the dogs actually look out for the cats that they live with! Even to the extent where they share food together that was given to them by neighbours! In many countires dogs are not just for pets, they help locate landmines, seek out earthquake victims that have been buried in rubble or collapsed buildings and help the blind to see! No wonder that there are not many blind people walking around here that can have a more independent life with the help of guide dogs! If only there was tougher laws for the cruelty of animals here, yes something like RSPCA would be great if it was set up here! I have even seen in many instances people running over stray dogs with their cars! even a puppy once! how shameful it is to see, and I myself am a muslim! If there has been some issues with dogs that are owned by a pet owner, it can be settled properly by just asking the owner to restrain their pets properly so they dont do any harm, other than that, I think its a crime like any other if its killing a dog thats owned by someone that didnt do any harm. Thats the same as breaking into someones home and destroying property. It is a crime and I hope that something will be done in the future to protect animals dogs or cats or whatever animal it may be. Whatever religion you belong to, Killing is still a crime no matter if its a human life, cat or even a dog. Meat is still murder! What you reap, is what you sow! The people who poisoned those dogs should be brought to justice!

24. I agree with the comments here. Dogs are also living beings and deserve to be treated humanely.

    But then again, they are becoming a nuisance here. Too many strays and they are getting dangerous. This is Brunei and people, for some reason, fear dogs. I guess in the absence of alternatives, the authorities or someone feel that poisoning is an available option, albeit cruel.

    As for Davids dogs, i feel sorry for him. Not meaning to be rude, but his dogs are a nuisance sometimes. I live in the area and pass by there everyday. The dogs are loose most of the time and the gates are open and they run around and chase whatever they can chase. Maybe its true they are protecting their master, but they are also preventing people from passing.

    Again i feel sorry for him. I guess its a lesson for everyone.

25. Nuisance or not.. they came as strays.. people left them for dead.. we dont cage them up or restrict their freedom to live as free creatures (except at night).. when they are usually behind the gates. We give them food and a place to stay if it rains. We dont force them to stay. We cannot stop them if they bury under the fences to get out. They do what they do. Once we had a German sher pard which we sent to school.. yeah.. school… gurkha training.. to teach it to not eat food and heed commands.. but yeah.. he was poisoned too. That was our last real pet that we acquired. I saw my father cry and he swore never to adopt another pet again. These four were dogs that just appeared one day and stayed. Being muslim, I gave up the right to pet and touch dogs but they doesnt mean I give up the right to respect other lives. Anyone who condones this is no different that the person who baited the food and threw it in for them.

    Dont feel sorry for me. I’ve seen enough of this over my life living here. If people think poisoning them is a solution to this.. then those are the ones you should really feel sorry for. This video was not meant to gain sympathy for me nor these dogs but merely an eye opener. Just for everyone’s information out there, this video was shot about three weeks ago.. when the first two was poisoned. I was pissed but never got round to editing it because of a family matter but when the other two got poisoned last week.. it was just God’s way telling me to do something about it.

    I’m sorry if some of you feel disgusted or feel that I did this video to ‘promote’ myself.. these days, everything i do for the good of others always seem to get seen as self-centered but as long as the message gets across.. what can i do but accept the feedback.

26. wow! this topic is getting hotter. hmmm! i just can’t believe this thing happen in Brunei, a muslim country. stray dogs are uncontrollable. to sandra, u juz cannot change mufti law as it is Allah’s law juz to suit our needs. it is already stated in the Quran and hadith. mufti is only conveying it to us. to david, sorry about ur dogs but it’s partly ur fault anyway. as much as u want ur rights to be respected, so do others. to dog owners pls, constraints ur dogs within ur vicinity. pls respect other ppls wish as well to safeguard their kids and pets such as cats & bunnies frm dogs. anyway enuf said. juz stating an opinion. as u knw everybody is entitle to their opinion. no offence guys.

27. We need to let those people who did that to the dogs get the same medicine they fed to the dogs to their children and let them watch their children die without any help what so ever. Maybe then they could learn how painful it is to lose a dog for people who loves their animals.

28. Juz me: Its got nothing to do with MY rights… Some of you just dont get it.. People talk about restraining dogs are people who have never had dogs as pets. Do you keep you cat in cages? I know some people do. Permanently too. Do you think God meant for that to be? His creatures to be kept behind bars, knowing only the square metre of space its entire life to live? How would you feel kept behind bars like a convict?

    People are afraid of dogs because that is what they were taught. Even my wife, who was afraid of them, like most, now confronts them if any approaches.

    Lets put this analogy to test.

    Lets say, any kid that tresspasses into anybody elses lawn will now to poisoned, speared or stoned to death.. how about you confining your kid to live the rest of his childhood in your house?

29. P/S Dogs only attack when they are provoked. Why do you think in recent cases, only malays were attacked? In my years living in this country, i have seen dogs being thrown rocks at and poisoned. Mind you, they are only innocent souls just like cats. To live up to your religion, respect any god creations.

30. I apologise for not being able to watch thhe video.. but i knew the content would be graphic..
    BRUNEI needs to educate the people..
    dogs are aggressive when they feel threatened..
    dogs dont arttack unless provoked.
    monkeys here in brunei are more likely to attack.. but do the people poison them??
    BRUNEI should hang its head in shame..
    abode of peace.. abode of animals murderers!

    an animal shelter is needed here..
    not just an animal pseudo shelter with people sat in a cumfy office..

    actions needed..
    the AS have helped by sterilizing strays at feeding areas.. but then the animals are murdered..
    poisoned mby mindless idiots.. u know who u are

    wake up Brunei..
    dogs arent the problem.. its the humans!!

31. Nda jua ulah mun sudah terrrrr racun…. Rancak saja ni sal kuyuk ah….

    Tiga Speradian atu nda kana pikir kan? Atu tantu tu mun kan di debat atau di riput ke mana-mana badan kebajikan insyallah ada hasil kali tu…..

    [Human] tu nya orang putih….

32. restraint is a relative term, it can just as well meant as “kept in the owners’s compund” david, just trying to help…

33. And I wouldn’t let my kid wander into anyones’ compund for that matter either, as its breaking and entering.

34. I used to keep some chickens in my compound. My children’s pets. Then one night a pack of dogs came and i lost my chickens. My kids cried. A few years back i was cycling on my own. A pack of some 8 dogs were lounging on the road ahead of me. They saw me and started chasing me. I dont think they wanted to play. Luckily i was on my bicycle and i was faster.
    Hey i dont mind people keeping dogs as pets. Both my neighbors keep dogs. Big ones. But they respect us and keep their dogs under control. When the dogs are out on their walks, the owners or the amah goes with them. The dogs also recognise us and accept us as their master’s friends.
    Strays are a different thing altogether. True they also deserve to live. Just as crocodiles, snakes and vipers deserve to live. But when they become a nuisance and a danger, shouldnt we be allowed to impose some controls?
    I suppose the problem is in the way the authorities chose to control strays. A more humane way need to be found, one that is acceptable to all.
    Again, a lesson to all. Thats all.

35. can someone translate painsoffs thread.. i recognise a few words.. but….
    thanks x

36. the aim is to kill strays, maybe they should something like stray dog traps or poisoned darts, instead of normal poison in left food. Whilst bandaran is NOT doing anything, I can understand why people take action into their own hands, better to be safe than sorry. Strays are living things too, and so are criminals, some criminals have to hang, i guess the same goes for strays.

    i think there’s a saying that if a dog bites you, you ‘put it down’ immediately.

    yes, strays kill cats, pet bunnies, chickens etc.

    1. Strays are so NOT criminals. They didn't choose to be strays, just like unwanted babies didn't choose to be dumped at birth. Keep your facts straight!!

37. What Painsoff is saying is.. there are three kids that have no parents looking after them and everything is concerned about them.. yet we are here talking about dogs…

    What he doesnt understand is that PEOPLE are already working to help them and NOBODY is doing anything to solve the problem about the dogs. In other words, he is trying to divert attention away from this matter.

38. to all the Muslims who hate dogs, check this out: http://www.islamicconcerns.com/dogs.asp

39. Ridz,

    Understood.. but do read Mariana’s link too. We do keep them in the compound but we cannot stop them from digging under the fences if they want to go out. Its just their nature.

    Kids dont understand trespass.. this is Brunei.. kids play.. in their own back yards and in our neighbours with their kids… if we start having an American attitude of trespass and prosecution, then our close knit community would be like that of a major metropolitan… where your neighbours wouldnt care if you died on your front porch… I believe Bruneians are different and hence one of my reasons why I elected to come back here to live.

40. I have a lot of friends who keep dogs and actually one instance where their dog was also poisoned too by their neighbours. I am actually more of a dog person than a cat person, and if given a chance i would actually like to keep dogs but choose not to do so because it is looked upon in my community as a taboo.

    I am also, really, not particularly too fond of cats too especially when you live in a shared apartment where I have to deal constantly with cat fur all over my windshield when you just washed your car every morning, but i don’t go around poisoning my neighbours’ cats either.

    I think depending on which side of the fence you are, the answer to the problem is just simple, I think, with all things, its just plain old common sense and respect on both parties. And yes, i agree with David’s comments on not being able to keep the dogs in the compound without them wondering around, but nevertheless, I think Brunei is slowly becoming more like a metropolitan city, especially if one has had experience in living in an environment such as an apartment building, people’s own attitudes towards personal privacy is slowly changing, and in many ways people are starting to become more “city” like.

    Setting that aside, if I was keeping dogs or cats for that matter, I would treat them like my children too, and If i knew that my neighbours would poison them or have had previous dogs poisoned too, I would do anything in my power to prevent them from wandering around aimlessly, and i would do the same if taken into consideration the “wandering kid” analogy, I wouldnt ask my kids to play in my neighbours back yard either unless i really trust or know them personally.

    What I am just trying to say is that its fine if both sides are consenting on having our dogs wandering around in their back yards, but the truth is, in brunei, for most malay communities, a dog most often than not represents a threat and if this is the case, i would rather keep my dog safe in my compund than have it wandering around.

    It is sad abouth what happened to your dogs and I have seen this before too, the only thing we can actually do is educate the people to be more tolerant to dogs. As with strays, I do believe that they should be dealt with more humanely as they can cause problems if their overall population is too high, issues such diseases or even instances where kids are being mauled by dogs do happen, and it happens too in countries like the usa where in one instance there was a woman who was mauled by their neighbours’ rottwieler which i read in yahoo a couple of years back; but instances such as these are rare, so I believe that its up to us to find a solution to this, it is a problem that has to be solved by both sides of the community.

    But again, I believe there should be tougher laws for the prevention of animal curelty. Also, thanks for Mariana on that link, its quite interesting 🙂

41. POISONING of dogs(cats) is NOT the way ahead!
    its proven that spaying works far better..
    the animals are spayed.. and the problem is instantly halved!

    I understand the muslim faith that as muslims u cant touch dogs.. but.. what i dont understand is how muslim faith can make people so hateful of them!

    i dont like spiders.. but i see them as living things.. i dont kill them!
    monkeys freequent my back garden bit i dont feel a need to kill them..
    live and let live??!!
    i love living in Brunei..
    but hate the conditions the animals have to endure.
    YES .. there are prob kids here with social issues..
    that should be being dealt with by the government here.. AS should the dog issue!
    In the uk/US Aus.. we have an Royal society fot the protection of Animals… why are they not over here aiding??

    The heads of government must realise that there is help out there…
    why do we not have some kind of shelter??
    there are a whole heap of people who would help more with the issue, if there was a place for the animals to be kept, before they were rehomed??
    as it is the Animal Shelter helps.. but have to keep the animals in their own homes.. thus causing problems when u are surrounded by Muslims!!
    poisoning is cruel,its tantamount to murder!
    how can anyone think its the answer? if it was.. Brunei wouldnt have the problem it does..
    dogs need to be banned from importation, if the faith here is so strong!
    xpats bring animals in then leave them! NO! dont bring them in at all.

    animalshelter has helped so much..

    http://animalshelterbrunei.blogspot.com/

    yes i also agree if a dog bites anyone in aggression.. it should be destroyed!
    but.. if a dog is hungry, protecting its pups, feeling threatened.. they will protect! WOULDNT U protect ur family, posessions etc!

    this is an arguement that will go on for ever.. until a proper shelter is in place !

42. Organisations like the RSPCA and PETA are set up in the many parts of the world including western countires and Australia to help bring awareness and help fight for animal rights; whch means that problems such as cruelty to animals isn’t restricted solely to islamic countires. These organisations wouldnt be there in the first place if these things didnt happen elsewhere. Blaming race and differences in faith isnt going to help either as ignorance breeds hated. Yes I agree with the shelter bit, but i think a world without dogs would be boring 🙂 and I think stopping the import wouldn’t help either as it will drive it underground and make things equally worse. I think the important thing is awareness and yes, a shelter programme which I agree is very much needed in Brunei. has anyone ever tried contacting the RSPCA or PETA, who knows, they might want to set up something here?

43. You’re welcome, cyberridz. I’m glad you enjoyed the article

44. Check this out ya all

    http://stranges-world.blogspot.com/2008/09/dog-bite-victims.html

    Have a good day.

45. I agree that in some rare circumstances such as those, the dog must be put down; but how can someone post that on a blog? I feel sorry for that family.

46. i dont think it’s rare for stray dogs to bite people. How many cases in Brunei already ? and that’s just the one that have been reported. strays are even more dangerous when they are in larger numbers or packs. I wish the government would do something and create a dog pound so as to capture as many as strays as possible for destruction (in the most humane way possible)

47. THE GOVERNMENT wont listen…
    destruction isnt the answer??

    a shelter that actually has a shelter is whats needed..

    the RSPCA wont ACT HERE.. IT CANT ACT HERE WITHOUT SPECIFIC INVITES TO..
    and whos gonna invite them???

    this is a never ending problem…
    unless people start to listen and actually are prepaared to listen.,. and maybe change the way they feel/act/treat dogs..
    i dont foresee this in my life time..

    not all strays are destined to attack anyone..
    they learn to attack .. to defend!to survive!

    we live in a sad sad world when dogs are such a thing of hate..
    where im from
    dogs are a mans best friend!
    NOT vermin!

48. hard break kid..
    what are u expecting to achieve by posting that link?
    its awful to be a dog bite victim..
    CARS kill millions every day as do guns and bad practises in work places..
    yes dogs do attack..
    but not every dog will…
    the amount that do are in a minotrity.. and are usually teased, harrassed and coersed into the attack..

    i feel that posting that was very unnecesarry, and extremely shocking!

    u may see it as appropriate, but i dont.
    dogs are painted in a bad enough way here…
    they do not need any more bad press..

    where were the pics from.. NOT brunei?
    attacks happen worldwide..

    attacks arent just happening here..
    people kill.. attack .. maim other people!!!
    we dont poison them!!!
    !!!!!!!!!!!!

49. To be honest, I dont find much graphic.
    But this was disgusting, amongst many other things.

    I live in a camp, where I share a drive with a Muslim.
    My Mother an I rescued a dog, with 4 pups, which have all gone to homes now.
    The Dog lives outside our home, we feed her, water her, she has a bed, you know, the things you do for an animal you care about.
    My neighbour understands that the Dog barks, chases cats etc, because this is in the dogs nature.
    So why cant the rest of you understand this!?

    I quote ”mufti law as it is Allah’s law” from juzme.
    Allahs law? Pha!
    In the Quran, a man was thirsty, he also saw a dog and thought that the dog must be thirsty as was he, So he shared his water with the dog.
    Does this not show you that you have no need to hate dogs as you do!

    The people out there who poison, kill, heartlessly murder these poor animals should be deeply ashamed of yourselves!
    You know who you are!

    Alex.

50. A few points I wanted to cover:

    Dogs rarely attacked without being provoked. However, animals that attack are normally sick, threatened or abused/taunted previously. “Just Me” – I understand you are trying to suggest a more humane method but please traps??? You would rather the animal had sharp metal cutting into its flesh for several days while it slowly bleeds to death and how can you be sure you get a dog? If it was a cat or monkey you caught in your trap, would it still be humane? Poisoned darts are still poison and has the same effect. Killing strays doesn’t solve the problem…lack of breeding is the only way and this is endorsed by the World Health Organisation.

    There is an animal shelter in Brunei and these people are trying to address the stray dog population but all the work they are doing is being undone by poisoning cases and people intentionally running over dogs with their cars. They receive no government funding and rely purely on donations. They are running a sterilization programme to HUMANELY reduce the stray population and I have been told by a volunteer that they have lost 5-6 STERILIZED dogs this month alone. What a waste of their valuable funds! Did you know that when a dog is killed/removed, other dogs simpy take its place cos the food and space becomes available. Surely it is better to have a sterilized dog in your area rather than a breeding pair! Dogs have been poisoned or blow piped here for hundreds of years and yet there is still a stray dog population. Killing is obviously not a viable or moral solution.

    Yes dogs do chase and sometimes kill cats. They also kill rats, snakes, monitor lizards and monkeys. However, my own kitten was bitten in half by a monitor lizard…should I then go and poison all monitor lizards? Should we go and poison all cats for killing mice and rats…it is natures way and these animals do not understand the concept of morals – only survival and natural instinct.

    Are you aware that if you visit some vets and pet shops in Miri and Limbang, you can select a breeded dog of your choice. They will get you the dog and give you drugs to sedate it so you can smuggle it over the border. I know because I have already investigated it. The dogs are then brought here and bred to produce puppies for money. If you check the animal shelter ads, you will see they sometimes have breeded dogs – these are dogs no longer any good for breeding so the breeders dump them. If you want to solve the stray population, enforce dog registration, ban dog breeding and if someone imports their dogs, they must prove they have euthanised it or taking it with them when they leave. it is called being a responsible owner.

    And let us not forget cats. Someone said before that Muslim law cannot be rewritten because that is how it was given. However, the Malaysian interpretation is that is it is in the interest of the animal and the community, it is permitted that the animal be sterilized. It has already been medically proven that it is HEALTHEIR for an animal to be sterilized before it has its first ‘season’ and with the stray dog AND CAT population, surely it is at least in the interest of the community. Honestly – if you have 20 cats (and many people in Brunei do), how can you provide adequate medical care for so many? Can you imagine having more than 3 preganancies a year? with multiple births – cats very, very rarely have one kitten. Those kittens will go onto breed and their kittens will breed – get the picture?

    Education is essential. Many people ‘freak out’ when a dog so much as looks at them. If you were jumping around and screaming in front of me – I would act defensively as well if you acted that way. I have also seen children running around the premises of the clinic I use teasing the dogs in there for treatment. iI these dogs then attacked those children, are they dangerous dogs or just defending themselves. If you are not supoosed to approach dogs, then don’t….let them be!

    Yes, other countries have animal right organisations and there is of course animal abuse all over the world. The fact Brunei is just starting one and there are no animal right laws just shows how behind Brunei is in line with the rest of the world. No matter where you are in the world, no matter of your beliefs and/or religion, there will always be evil people doing evil things whether it be against animals, children, ethnic minorities, women or just anyone who crosses their path. At least these countries are trying to do something about it. I know animal shelter has investigated wildlife cases as well as domestic animals – caged monkeys available for sale. In any other country, it is a jailable offence. And what is it with caging or chaining animals here? The number of people who cage ‘guard dogs’? How can a dog guard your house if it is caged? Are you scared of a caged or chained animal? I fully agree with David – animals are meant to be free, and whilst they may be contained within a compound or garden, their freedom of movement should remain intact. The physical and mental repercussions of chaining and caging are inhumane and just plain cruel! I commend David for his love of animals and their right to the freedom to live and to be content.

    As you can tell, this is an issue close to my heart. I won’t say I love all animals because monkeys and insects terrify me but I have respect for life; man, woman, child, animals, whatever! I just hope the rest of Brunei catches up and stands against such a cruel and inhumane act.

51. they’re poisoned to dead?! god.. how can they do that to such creature? that is just cruel. we need to do something with this!! DOGS are innocent creatures, just like cats; hamsters etc. they become fierce when soemthing provoke them to do so. as a bruneian, malay and as a muslim i feel very bad and ashamed of how our ppl seem so selfish.

52. this is dedidcated to all the people who hate dogs:

53. Tracy. 14/9/08.

    I know when you read this you will put me in the category of an infidel orang putih, and you will be right but an infidel orang putih with a very high regard for life!

    I totally agree with David when he says he feels very sorry for all the dogs and other animals which also eat the poison and have died in Brunei.

    I have read through all of the postings on this blog over and over again and most of them are replies from people with views surrounding their own culture and religion; or with a slight blaming of someone else’s culture and religion.

    This posting is neither of those! Since living in Brunei and coming into contact with the stray animal population I have looked into many of the problems surrounding this. I am no expert but from my own experiences of owning my own domestic dogs, looking after many strays and lots of research into other countries in Asia with stray problems, I have found there is a definite difference to owning a domestic dog you have had from a puppy to caring for a stray dog who you have taken in at an older age.

    It’s hard to keep dogs in compounds that are used to roaming freely because although the dog likes its new surroundings and security, it will not understand the restriction of boundaries. They have always had to find shade, shelter from the rain and food which you are now providing, which they are very glad of, but they have never come across a restriction in boundaries before. This does not mean that these dogs are not loyal and respectful; it’s just their way of life which they have learned over many generations! How many people live in the same circumstances as their parents and parents before them? Animals including us are creatures of habit and don’t adapt to huge changes all at once, it takes time and small steps to make huge changes. These dogs will still roam in and out of compounds: They do not understand boundaries! They will still destroy people’s rubbish bags: they have had generations of having to scavenge for food. Domestic rubbish, for them is an easy food source and although they are fed regularly they have had generations of finding their own food sources. We need to ask why are we leaving rubbish where dogs, cats and rats (believe me, it’s not only dogs that rip your rubbish!) can easily gain access to? Dogs do not understand culture or religion: only survival instinct. They do what they have to do to survive. Caging and chaining a dog or cat is not the answer, the damage this does physiologically to a dog or cat is beyond repair.

    Adults and children also need to be aware that dogs rarely attack humans unless they feel in danger. Animals see us as a species which provides a food source via our edible waste so why would they attack us?

    If someone came up to me screaming, throwing stones at me and waving their arms about I would feel threatened and would want to escape, or if there is no means of escape then fight back! When a dog attacks it has a reason: hunger, in pain, protecting their young. If you were put in these situations with limited experience how would you react?

    Brunei is a beautiful rich country which unfortunately has a huge stray and dog cat problem, a problem with the correct amount of funding and correct advice from outside animal welfare associations can be solved. Research from other Asian countries shows that the dogs which have been poisoned will soon be replaced by other pests: monkeys, monitor lizards, snakes, rats and feral cats. Eventually, the remaining stray dogs which haven’t been poisoned will breed and multiply and within no time, you are back to square one. Poisoning dogs has not worked in the past so why will the recent poisoning work now? It’s just a temporary and barbaric measure. Only proper policy, animal cruelty legislation and investment will provide a long term solution to enable humans and animals to live together in the way they deserve. Knee jerk reactions will not.

    There are a lot of people in Brunei already helping as many animals as their funding allows. There is also an Animal Welfare organisation willing to work with the ministries of Brunei. If all three sets of people work together with the aim of a human solution to the stray animal population it will no longer be a problem. It can be solved as it has in many other countries.

54. BRUNEIANS… its u who need to do something to address this problem.

    as an outsider living here.. i cant.

    i will do my bit to help all animals and people.. but as imnot a local.. i cant ask for things to change, that would be the fastest exit route out of this lovely place.

    i love my life here..
    i love Brunei..
    i just seriously HATE the way that animals are treated..
    take a long hard look introspectively..you are told ALL dogs are evil/bad!
    they arent….
    Most expats here understand the NO touch rule.. but please dont use this rule as a reason to kill these animals..
    all thats needed is HELP from YOUR government.

    Land is what is needed.. not a vast amount, just somewhere where a shelter can be built..
    a place to collect the strays (that all / well most other countries have rspca/aspca/etc)

    i want to shout

    WAKE UP BRUNEI

    YOU CAN MAKE THIS PLACE THE BEST IT CAN BE…
    where tourists and expats dont wince at the site of starving and dead strays every day..
    what kind of image does that give????

55. There you go.. happy ending with the 3 kids.. well.. happy enough… though unfortunately.. the issue with dogs is still ignored and I believe this will still go on…

    Gives new meaning to the phrase, “All Dogs go to heaven.. except here, they go to heaven prematurely.”

    Ce la vie..

56. Check this out:

    http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20225821,00.html

    Dogs are amazing God’s creations.

    Remember, dogs only attacked if they are provoked or hungry, etc.

57. In response to dog elimination!

    Brunei is an oil rich and very beautiful country, which unfortunately has a huge stray animal issue. I have been living in Brunei for a little over two years now, and have spent that time helping as many animals as possible. Along with other people, I have fostered ill stray dogs and puppies, cats and kittens, and even a monkey! We have treated their illnesses, cared for them until they are healthy and then found new homes for them. From our own pockets, we have also provided food for stray animals in areas where strays reside. We have even spent $180 per dog sterilizing them to help to reduce the amount of further stray births. Having spoken to someone who is a member of Animal Shelter, an organisation which has recently been set up here in Brunei, I have found out that they too have been caring for sick animals, sterilizing stay animals and feeding animals on stray sites. Alongside the active animal involvement, I have spent a lot of time researching other countries in Asia who have had the same issues with stray animals.

    My research shows many different factors in stray management. This information has been found through corresponding with Merritt Clifton of the Animal People organisation. Poisoning, along with other inhumane killing methods such as gassing, drowning etc of stray animals has commonly been used in lots of countries in Asia over hundreds of years. But this has NOT solved the stray animal issues permanently! It’s been found that you will find it impossible to eradicate stays altogether using these methods. Once one area is cleared of strays, as long as that area still holds a food source for strays (this food source is usually edible waste not disposed of correctly!), another group of strays will move into the area and the cycle will begin again.

    Another factor of stray animal elimination is that an area holding a food source after eradicating the stray dogs will be taken over by monkeys, rats and cockroaches before another group of stray dogs can move in, all of which can carry more harmful diseases, and can do much more physical damage than stray dogs ever could! The only successful factor I have found in my research of countries in Asia which have their stray dog management under control is of countries which have adopted and maintained the 70% rule of sterilizing 70% of stray dogs. It has been found that a small stray dog population is actually beneficial because they keep other pests at bay.

    As I wrote earlier, I have been feeding stay dogs on different sites. Three of my feeding sites have had dogs disposed of inhumanely over the last month. Over these three sites a total of three adult females, two adult males and fifteen puppies have been eradicated. Again after speaking with an Animal Shelter member I have also found they have had dogs in their feeding areas also eradicated, some of which had already been sterilized at the cost of $180 per dog! The sterilized dogs are easily identifiable because they have red Animal Shelter collars. The current spate of dog poisoning is random, unscientific and illogical. The money used to sterilize the Animal Shelter strays has come from you, the members of public who have donated money through membership etc!

    There is another option to solving Brunei stray animal issues and there are a lot of members of the public who are willing to help. Why not give it a try?

    Tracy Rowley

    For further information on stray dog control, check the following web-site: http://www.animalpeoplenews.org

58. Amazing! It has been almost two weeks since anyone has posted on this site with the exception of Tracy above. Does that mean out of sight and out of mind. Everything Tracy has said is true…including the poisoning incidences. There have been many more apart from what she has mentioned including pets like David’s.

    With the ‘festive’ season upon us, the number of poisonings and other intentional killings have increased and it is time for it to STOP! I have researched the religious side of this arguement and it doesn’t matter which you put your faith in, they all say a life is a life and must be respected. Anyone who believes otherwise is ignorant and needs re-educating. This is not the 1800’s when there is no research into the matter. Check out Greece and their stray dog problem – yes they have stray dogs but all are immunised, sterilized and healthy. The way animals are treated here is barbaric – even owned pets – Brueni needs animal right and animal immigration laws. The number of people I speak to who would rather dump their unsterilized pets rather than put them to sleep is staggering! Animal Shelter offers a rehoming service, although they are currently unable to remove the animals immediately. USE IT! How is being put in a strange place with no food supply better for the animal than a humane death or rehoming. Once dumped, even if they find a food source, they are bound to be terrorized and abused before death by poisoning or hunting anyway – give them a peaceful HUMANE death rather than dumping…I dispair…really I do!

59. How could they got hold of that racun??? Burukkan nama country sja.. malu ehh…. 🙁 And also as a muslim. This should be stop seriously.

60. then it is our responsibility for each of us and you all to make a change if we want to see things like this to change in Brunei. i hope each each of you here not only just claim how truly compassionate you are but tout your heart and act together to stop this cruelty by one of them is supporting the NGO that provide shelter and care for stray cats and dogs- may it be financially or lend a little hand and we can also start that by educating our family members at home and do that kind deeds to every strays you see.Insya Allah, believe and take that first step.- End all this cruelty once and for all!

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