Dogs Miraculously Survived Fall
Just recently, it was reported in the Straits Times that a frustrated owner threw his two dogs three floors down his HDB apartment. For his rash act, Mr Krishnasamy Kaliyappan, aged 44, was fined $5,000. However, as he was unable raise the money needed to pay the fine, Krishnasmay was jailed 5 weeks instead.
It seems from reports that the act was captured on CCTV by a neighbour who then reported the matter to the police. Miraculously, both Maltese survived the fall and were taken back to the family home by Mr Kaliyappan’s daughter in law. The case has sparked an outcry from certain Singapore animal activist groups who felt the sentence was grossly inadequate given the nature of the act.
What saddens us about this case was that such incidents can easily be avoided; Mr Kaliyappan was after all merely frustrated with the dogs for barking uncontrollably at a deliveryman when he committed the rash act. And dog behavioural problems such as nuisance barking can easily be solved, if owners make an effort to send their canine friends for dog training and in the process learn how to control their pets. Unfortunately many owners do not understand or see the benefits of sending their dogs early for training. Many a time, these owners take no action until serious behavioural problems develop. Sadder still, some will even give up their dogs for adoption when these problems become uncontrollable.
It’s important to realize that dogs do not misbehave just to irritate or frustrate us. To those who know dogs well, they are about as loyal a friend as you can find. They misbehave only because they are never taught how to behave appropriately by their owners. And unfortunately, what is deem as natural and acceptable behaviours in the dog world may not always be acceptable in our human world. Indeed some of these natural dog behaviours like smelling each other’s butt or eating their own poo may even be deemed by us humans as repulsive. Hence, at the very least, owner’s should make the effort to teach their dogs proper manners and help them become good canine citizens.
Just the other day, we were at the Singapore Zoo watching the animal friends show. There we were introduced to Faith and Hope, two lovely dogs that were rescued from the vet’s clinic by the zoo one week before they were scheduled to be put to sleep. According to Mabel, the host of the program, these two dogs were deemed by their previous owner as ugly and totally uncontrollable. Today, if you do get a chance to watch them perform, you will probably feel they are among the most well behaved and trained pets in Singapore. More importantly, they make wonderful pets, capable of loving their owner unconditionally and being loved in return. Just ask any of the audience who watched the show and I am sure they too will agree. After all, many queued up after the show just to have a chance to snap a picture with them and pet them. Yet these two lovely animals were nearly put down just because their previous owner could not control them.
And finally for those who are currently having trouble controlling your dogs, we urge you not to give up on them. Instead make it an effort to learn about dog behaviour and training, either through a certified dog trainer or reading up a good dog book or two.
Admin says
Yes it indeed is sad. What’s sadder is that such situations could have been avoided if only dog owners make it a point to learn to train and control their dogs.