‘We will sue Besut district council for shooting Kopi’

The death of a stray dog known as Kopi has earlier this month has led to a coalition of animal rights groups to take legal action against the Besut district council.

Lawyer Rajesh Nagarajan said the groups want the officers who were responsible to be charged in court and he will file the suit in Terengganu High Court next week.

“We want all officers involved to be charged under the Animal Welfare Act 2015. We demand that police take action against them.

“We will not accept our police report being marked as no further action.

“Stop murdering our stray dogs,” he said.

He said this after over 100 people gathered in front of Sentul district police headquarters to protest the death of Kopi, the friendly stray dog that was shot down by the Besut district council enforcement team.

A police report was lodged by the Selangor Furry Future Association president S Shashi Kumar.

“Former Agriculture Minister the late Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub had said through a media report dated 2 July 2019 that based on the Animal Welfare Act 2015, no shooting or killing is allowed on any animals with the use of arms unless it is a desperate situation or one that endangers lives,” Shashi said in the report.

Shashi also wants the Department of Veterinary Services to be held responsible.

Kopi had gone viral on social media in March after a recording of it playing with a stray cat went viral.

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