Skip to main content

Guest Post: May your kids treat you the same

The sight of a poor abandoned dog she calls Scruffy gets guest blogger JEHAN MOHD all worked up and wishing divine justice for his heartless owners. Here is her plea.

Scruffy trying to hydrate himself from a small 
puddle of water outside Jehan Mohd's house.


FOR the past several weeks, whenever a car pulls up in front of my terraced house or that of the opposite neighbour's, a scruffy lanky brown dog would come running out of nowhere to greet the occupants — whether he’s welcome to do so or not.

More a nuisance than a delight to the residents here, the mongrel seems to have taken a liking to our little area — never mind the fact that he’s often shooed away — and he guards his territory like the loyal pet he used to be.

His collar — once a proud symbol of belonging — is now a sad reminder of how easily pets like him can be discarded.

While I'm very upset that he runs loose outside and tries to enter our compounds once in a while, the real culprits in this situation are his former owners.

His ribs are visible through his malnourished skin, he drinks whatever water he can get from puddles on the road and fights the neighbourhood strays for whatever scraps of food good Samaritans give him.

On an almost daily basis, there would be fierce snarling and gnashing of teeth as he fights for survival.

Sometimes, he would be defeated by the strays used to the hard life. A few days ago he was cowering under a car while an old white and brown homeless dog was trying to get at him to tear him apart.

Luckily, a couple of humans shooed the bigger dog away and Scruffy (as he looks like he might be called that) could come out from under the car.

Unluckily, he still remains on the streets fending for himself.

Is this your dog?

Because, if it is, you should be ashamed of what you have done to him and punished for how you have abandoned him just because he’s old/no longer cute/a burden/too expensive to care for.

May your kids and their kids treat you the same.

Just because they’re cute when young and they can’t ever articulate themselves in human-speak doesn't mean animals have no feelings when they are discarded in their later years.

Comments

Unknown said…
what an interesting way describing a stray.. it sounds almost like a neglected senior citizen which isnt uncommon these days. But yes! pet owners have to be more responsible than this.
Unknown said…
This is a very nice little review.I have few experiences with my dogs and i learned that the more they get old,the more they get scared and need the owner.
"Sometimes.some men are worse than the beast." - the animal lovers of Switzerland.

Popular Posts

Satisfy your curiosity

Did curiosity kill the cat? It appears that the Union of Concerned Scientists does not believe that to be true. Instead, it argues for "scientific curiosity" because that "is the key to solving our world's most crucial environmental, health and security problems -- such as global warming". The grouping of scientists accuses those with "a vested interest in denying global warming" of "trying to kill the public's curiosity and thus squelch the truth". "Scientists are curious for life," states the Union and it pleads the cause of supporting curiosity and urges us to start by being members of the grouping.  We should take a leaf from Union's book. "Curiosity killed the cat" is an idiom meaning to tell somebody not to ask questions or try to find out about things that do not concern them. That is appropriate for personal affairs but in all other matters we, like the children in our midst, should show c...

Buah Tarap: A chance encounter

You learn something new everyday. My friend Alina is very fond of repeating this. And I agree with her. Today I tasted the Buah Tarap (Tarap Fruit) which is said to be unique to Sabah/Borneo. My colleagues and I arrived in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah this afternoon; we are here for the RHB New Straits Times Spell-It-Right Challenge which will take place at the Suria Mall over the weekend. After checking into the Beverly Hotel we walked to a nearby eatery for a spot of tea. It was then that I chanced upon the Buah Tarap and began snapping away. My colleague, who had eaten the fruit in Bandung, Indonesia, was excited to see it. He bought one for us to try. The stall vendor split the fruit into two and we bit into its flesh. Everyone liked it but describing its flavour remains a challenge. The fruit, which looks like nangka (jackfruit) or chempedak,  has an unusual combination of tastes: it is sweet but not as sweet as the jackfruit nor as chunky. Words fail me. It feels so lig...

Cruising the Malacca River

This picture of the Malacca River Cruise was taken by photographer Ham with my camera. We were on the eighth floor of the Renaissance Hotel recently and the view of the Malacca River was quite stunning from where we were standing. There was no time for a cruise, which is highly recommended, by the way. We were on an overnight business trip to the historical city. I remember Sumita Martin raving about it when she was reporting for the New Straits Times from Malacca a few years ago. The river itself has an interesting history. According to Melaka Malaysia Travel "throughout its history, the Malacca River slowly modified its role as a busy and productive port along the import trade route of spices to a popular tourism attraction". It was called the Venice of The East by European colonialists who were looking for new areas to acquire and keeping them dependent. A voyage by sea, stopping at various places and savouring local cultures ala Slow Boats To China has been my dream for ...