Susan Lankester and her 4200 signatures

If any of you were wondering how Susan Lankester obtained her 4200 signatures, I confess, I was wondering too.

So I asked Susan. She cheerfully told me that as part of her campaign with Sherrina to sell the MystyCat & MystyDog 2006 Calendars they took their SPCA Petition forms to amend the Animal Ordinance 1953 everywhere they went.

Sherrina and Susan are animal lovers who choose to spend their precious free time rescuing animals off the streets and re-homing them. They do this by relying on their huge network of friends who are willing to foster these homeless animals until they are adopted. Sherrina calls this her angel network.
What is more amazing about this group is that they are all independent pet rescuers not belonging to any NGO or other organization.

Their website is is http://mystycat.bravehost.com/ (you will find a link to it on this blog). You may also visit their booth at the IKANO Power Centre (in front of Padini) every weekend from 11am to 9.30pm. They also have another booth at Mont Kiara.

Sherrina produced these MystyCat and MystyDog calendars, and each day/page of the year has not only a unique picture of a dog or cat, but an anecdote about it. She and her friends sold these calendars to raise funds for animal shelters such as PAWS and SPCA.

As part of their drive to sell these calenders, they had set up booths at many places such as The Curve, Plaza Damas and Bangsar Village to name a few. At each place, members of the angel network actively solicited signatures from the public for the petition to amend the Animal Ordinance 1953.

That is how they had 4200 signatures to submit at the Remembering Sheena Rally to end animal abuse.

Well done our good and faithful angels! :)
Shoba Mano

Link Updates

Hi all,

Just a quickie to say that the links on the right has been updated, including the Chief Justice's Office response to our open letter, a html of the proposal Shoba and her husban prepared, as well as a little promo on the forthcoming workshop.

Thanks, happy lunar new year to those who celebrate!

Watch MYPET with KC Yap TONIGHT - NTV7 Saturday, Jan 28, 12:30 am - 1:00 am. Thank you KC Yap and Adam Carruthers!

NTV7's coverage of the rally was superb. Please watch past midnight today. I just saw it this afternoon at 12:30 pm. You can catch the repeat tonight. Technically that would be Sat, Jan 28, 12:30 am - 1:00 am.

Thank you KC. You're terrific.

Might I add also that Adam Carruthers from TV8 attended the rally on a day he was emcee at his friend's wedding. And he still stayed a long time to cover the event.

So all you hip and gorgeous men out there, it's cool to have a soft heart okay? KC and Adam have surely made that statement.

Watch the show!
Shoba.

Tick Season

This is Bandit, my other dog. Well, yes, "other" dog, coz Chewby is a bit of a jealous bitch, literally. Anyway, she's fallen prey to ticks before, so she's got some advice for you. But firstly, she's just a dog, not a vet, so please corroborate what she says with your own vet, or with the SPCA or PAWS, who also do advise the public.

For your dog

(1) Keep your pets cool and clean. Ticks love dirty animals.

(2) You can wash your pet using prescribed shamboos and tick washes available at your vet's or at pet stores. Do follow the advice of your vet or the pet shop proprietor, and do read the instructions and follow them accordingly. Please try to avoid "traditional" remedies, I have heard of an old lady washing her dog in kerosene to get rid of the ticks. Needless to say, the ticks went away. As well as the dog.

(3) If you pet has a few ticks, you can try spraying it every now and then (like a fortnight, say) with anti-tick sprays, like Frontline. Actually, Frontline has got a number of very good anti-parasite products, so check them out.

(4) When you find a tick, subdue it. This can be done by using alcohol (there are also other substances, but I can't remember what offhand). The reason why you need to subdue the tick is because if you pull off the tick from your pet, it can sometimes leave its head behind, which can release enough poisons into your pet to cause tick fever. Dogs have been known to die of this fever, if not attended to immediately, so pay heed!

(5) When the tick is off your pet, dispose of it properly. Ticks are hardy creatures, so throwing them into a drain (yes, people do do that) is not the right answer. The usual ones are flushing them down the toilet. I usually have a bowl of chlorine, which kills the ticks, and dissolves the blood. The latter is important, because if you have a bowlful of blood, its bound to attract flies, which leads to maggots etc. Do keep in mind that the chlorine is meant to suffocate and kill the tick, not your pet, so please do not wash your pets with chlorine!

For your home

(6) When you find a tick, do number (5) above.

(7) If the area is too heavily infested:

• if it's a concrete area/wall etc. - spray with Ridsect, Baygon etc. The ones meant for cockroaches work better.
• if it's your garden, call in pest control, get them to spray for termites. Keep your pets (and children and yourself) away during the fumigation.

Please do check with your vet, PAWS or the SPCA first. When in doubt, don't do it. Whatever it is. Your pet's life and wellbeing is in your hands.

Here's a list of vets, FYI.

Aftermath Of The Rally

The Remembering Sheena Campaign Rally, held on 21st January 2006, was a success. Thanks to all who came down to lend their support. Big thanks especially to those who brought all those signed petitions, your hard work might go a long way to changing the laws in Malaysia.

Thanks to all volunteers. For those of you who want to get more involved, or have ideas and plans for this campaign, do email us (see link on the right)!

Special thank you's to Susan Lankaster, Miss Malaysia/World Gloria Ting, REDfm's Ida Mariana and 8TV's Adam Carruthers. Also, thank you to the Malaysian Kennel Association for the wonderful show they put on with their lovely dogs! Thanks also to all listed in Shoba's posts below!!!

We're also very grateful to our sponsors for the drinks, gifts, and a big thank you to the SPCA, especially Sabrina, for your support and loyal dedication. Thanks also to the volunteers who sent us the pictures above! Good one, guys!

Lastly, thanks to Shoba for all her hard work and dedication for the rally!! You go, girl!

And as Shoba mentioned, we will be having a workshop soon, see the links on the left for details! Do sign up with us via email! Thanks!

Letters From Supporters

We've been getting tons of support from all great supporters, and we thank you very much for them!

Please don't hesitate to leave comments on the blog, we look forward to hearing from you, and hope to open an open discussion among all readers of Remembering Sheena!

Here is a great email from Stephanie in support of our efforts:

Dear Ms Shoba,

Got your email from one of the forum pages of SPCA. Just emailing to commend you on your efforts and the kind heart you have towards remembering and protecting the abused animals that are unable to speak up nor fend for themselves in this cruel world of humans. I used to be a volunteer in the SPCA Johor Bahru before attending university. Sadly it closed down because the owner wanted the land back and have not been able to relocate ever since. I was recently at SPCA Melaka and it was such a relief to see how well looked after the animals are there and the volunteers are so loving and know so much abt each and every animal there...the animals just long to be talked to and played with ... it broke my heart to leave but i was only back for the christmas break. Wish i could be there for the rally !

Anyway just a short email to tell you and all those that work in and for the SPCA that i admire each and every one of you and hope that some day when i return to Malaysia i'd be able to open the 2nd "Noah's Ark" for all the lovely animals,small, big, tall, short, furry ,bald,4 legged or 3legged..doesnt matter...they all gives us unconditional love especially when we need it the most...!!

Sincerely,
Stephanie Arasu
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

RSC Demands Tesco Explanation

Dear Sir,

RE: THE ANIMAL ISLAND SHOW ON TESCO’S PREMISES

I refer to my telephone conversation with Diana Sjaiful, Personal Assistant to the CEO of Tesco Stores (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (“Tesco”) yesterday.

I represent the Remembering Sheena Campaign (“RSC”) and had called to speak to the CEO of Tesco after reading an article that appeared in The Star newspaper dated January 21, 2006. The article was written by Hilary Chiew and titled ‘Education or Freak Show’?

The article is about a so-called education show, The Animal Island Show held at a hypermarket in Shah Alam. But the report suggests that it is far from an educational show but a cruel display of animals.

When I called The Star newspaper to find out the name of the hypermarket where The Animal Island Show was being held, I was given the name Tesco, Shah Alam.

The article speaks of long-tailed macaques chained to a steel-bar platform, water lizards kept in small, dingy cages and of pools filled with dirty water as the only source of drink available to these animals. Their cages are also said to be filthy.

The article further reports that marine biologist, Louisa Ponnampalam who visited the hypermarket expressed concern over the condition of the animals and queried why this sort of ‘freak show’ is being held in the compound of a respectable hypermarket.

She went further to say that it was distressing to watch some parents poking fun at the chained macaques and all these contribute to wrong messages being sent to children about animals.

I express the same concern to Tesco. We at RSC are doing our utmost to stamp out this image of an unfeeling, uncaring society. In the light of the many abuse cases reported in the Press of late, we have launched a campaign to stop animal abuse in Malaysia and held a very successful rally on Saturday, January 21, 2006 at SPCA Selangor.

So it is a terrible shame to see large corporations like Tesco condoning if not simply indifferent to the plight of animals in Malaysia.

After the telephone conversation between me and Diana, I was later told by Diana that Tesco will be asking the organizers of The Animal Island Show to leave their premises.

We are not satisfied with Tesco’s decision and ask that Tesco please make an official statement to the Press and the Department of Wildlife and National Park that:

(a) they do not support animal cruelty; and
(b) expressly request the Department of Wildlife and National Park to please investigate how the organizers of The Animal Island Show are allowed to keep wildlife under such deplorable conditions.

Tesco has branded itself as more than just a grocery store, but a family store with playstations and even DJs sometimes present, during festive seasons, entertaining families as they shop. So it is certainly in the community interest for Tesco to take a stand on issues such as animal abuse especially when it has allowed for some period of time the existence of this horrendous Animal Island Show on its premises.

It is not good enough to quietly let this show move on elsewhere without making a statement that Tesco has done so not as Diana put it to me “does not want to offend their customers who are animal lovers” but because Tesco does not condone practices of animal abuse.

Please do not tell us that you are cancelling the lease of this organizer simply because we made a fuss. Tell us you are indeed a “respectable hypermarket” as marine biologist, Louisa Ponnampalam called Tesco and do not want to send out the wrong messages to children that it is all right to be cruel to animals.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,


Shoba Mano
Remembering Sheena Campaign
e-mail: shobamano@yahoo.com or remembersheena@gmail.com

Thank You Radio Stations, Gurmit Singh and Paula Malai Ali

All the radio stations featured here, we thank you for your strong support in giving us air-time to talk about animals and the Remembering Sheena Campaign("RSC") rally.

Thank you REDFM, MIXFM, HITZFM, TRAXXFM, LIGHT & EASY and their DJs who have a heart of gold.

Gurmit Singh or rather Mr. Phua Chu Kang himself and Paula Malai Ali thank you for taking the time to personally announce the rally on air.

God bless all of you!
Shoba Mano.

More Rally Up-dates!

Remembering Sheena Campaign volunteers collected 4,589 signatures for the SPCA (Selangor & Federal Territory) during our rally which was held at its office at 4pm, Saturday (January 21, 2006).

Out of this, actress Susan Lankester submitted 4,200 which she and her friends had collected. A very big thank you to you!

The Ananda Marga Yoga Society (Selangor) brought in 125 signatures. Well done! Come on other religious bodies out there. Do your part for the animals too. Please come forward and help.

Many families, groups and individuals, including youths brought in a lot of signatures too. Thank you, each and every one of you. Be very proud of yourselves as you have helped to make our world a better place to live in.

About 150 people turned up at the rally to lend their support. We thank you too because your presence has given hope to our animal friends.

Thank you to sponsors YEO HIAP SENG for the drinks they had contributed, and AGAPE Magazine owned by Ancient of Days Enterprise for sponsoring the posters and the "We Want Justice For Animals" banner.

Members of the Press, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Adam Carruthers from TV8, KC Yap of NTV7, Berita Harian, New Straits Times, The Star, The Malay Mail, Sin Chew Jit Poh, Nanyang Siang Pau, China Press and Bernama Television. If I've missed out anyone, forgive me. It was unintentional.

Thank you Ida and Tim, DJs of REDFM 104.9, for going out of your way to help. Your presence at the rally is greatly appreciated. To all of you out there who do not know this, Ms Ida Mariana has an amazing voice. She led in singing our Remembering Sheena Rally song, The Rocky Road of An Animal, to the tune of Bob Dylan's "Blowin In The Wind".

Gloria Ting, Miss Malaysia/World 2004, how on earth did you manage to stay crisp and fresh in the afternoon heat, I'll never know. You're as gorgeous as always, and we thank you for gracing our rally with your presence. I must say, her dog named Oriel had us all coochy cooing around him or is it a her?

Thank you Mr Freddy Lim, Chief Trainer of the Malaysia Kennel Association (Selangor) and a big, big thank you to his lovely dogs. His dog, Porsche, handed over a red bag containing a roll of signatures in a very touching moment which was part of an official handing over of the signatures to SPCA's Animal Inspector, Sabrina Yeap.

Our thanks also to MKA Chairman, Datuk Fonseka, and Malaysian Association for Responsible Pet Ownership (Marpo) protem President, Dr Jon S. Satyamoorthy for attending the rally to lend us moral support.

Please tune in to the MYPet programme on NTV7, this Friday, January 27. The 30 minute show will air from 12pm. You can also catch the repeat at 12am the following day (Saturday).

Also please catch the Quickie programme on TV8 at 11.30pm everyday this week for news on our rally.

The Show's not over yet guys! Look out for our educational workshops and ... a play that is coming up. Yes. I did say a play - a stage play. Come back to our blog to learn more.

Till the next time, cheerio!

Shoba Mano.

Don't Go To The Animal Island Show In Shah Alam

Friends,

Please read this article by Hilary Chew of the STAR Newspaper dated January 21, 2006. Please do not go to this animal show at Tesco, Shah Alam. Every time you pay to go and see shows like this you encourage people to abuse animals this way.

After reading the article, I hope you find it in your hearts to write or telephone these bodies to complain:

Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Deputy Director, Aziz Che Man) Tel: 55193915. Or fill up their complaints form on: http://www.wildlife.gov.my/e_aduan/aduan.htm

Call Tesco's Head Office and ask to speak to the CEO at: 77266298

We would also like to know if the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) is doing anything about this. We need NGOs like MNS to speak up. Surely they can at least alert their members to call and complain.

Educational or freak show?

By HILARY CHIEW

Three listless long-tailed macaques chained to a steel-bar platform. Unidentified water lizards kept in small, dingy cages. All kinds of snakes placed in small glass containers, some with a concrete pool each filled with dirty water. Small cages that housed flying squirrels, sugar gliders and chipmunks were littered with food scraps and faeces.

These are some of the sights that greet visitors to the Animal Island show currently being held at the open car park of a hypermarket in Shah Alam.

The show boasts of having nearly 80 species of local and foreign animals on display. Adults are charged an entrance fee of RM4 while the fee for kids is RM2.



This pig-tailed macaque or better known as beruk in Malay is chained to a steel-bar platform. Despite the organiser’s claim that it is an educational show, the lizard in the cage below is not named.

Marine biologist Louisa Ponnampalam, who came across the show during a visit to the hypermarket recently, got in touch with The Star to express her concern over the deplorable state the animals were kept.

“The leaflets and banners claim that it is an educational show but the identification labels are not even accurate.

“The labels have obviously been cut out from a reptile guidebook. The birds are not even identified.

“It is so wrong. To me, it is a freak show. Why is this kind of show being allowed by the authorities and held in the compound of a respectable hypermarket?” Louisa asked.

She said the show was sending out the wrong message to the public especially children.

She was also appalled by the manner some parents were poking fun at the chained macaques.

When contacted, Selangor Department of Wildlife Protection and National Park (Perhilitan) deputy director Aziz Che Man said the show had been inspected on Jan 17 and the department was in the process of verifying the list of animals approved for the display and those found during the inspection.

It is learnt that Animal Island has obtained the permission from the state department for the show between Jan 12 and 31, in conjunction with the pre-Chinese New Year shopping period to catch the crowd.

To attract shoppers, visitors are encouraged to jot down their identity card number and contact details on the ticket and drop it into a lucky draw box.

The show also offers visitors the opportunity to be photographed with the animals and to feed them.

It's Finally Here!

Yep, it's finally here. The day of the rally! Put on your walking shoes, baseball caps and sternest faces. Just kidding. We want big smiles. After all, by turning up at the rally you are helping to stop the injustice towards animals. That's an occasion to smile.

We have ample drinks for everyone thanks to Yeo Hiap Seng.

Don't be surprised to see your favourite DJs and celebrities standing side by side with us for this worthy cause.

I'm off to SPCA now. See you all at 4:00!

Shoba Mano.

REMINDER - TWO DAYS TO THE RALLY

Hey all you kind and compassionate people out there!

Are you ready to rock on Saturday January 21, 2006? Good.

Please don't forget these little details below:

1. Bring the signatures you have collected.

2. If you have collected 300 signatures or more let one of the volunteers wearing the Remembering Sheena Campaign tags know.

3. Copy the lyrics to the song for the animals we are going to sing on that day and bring it with you so you can sing along with us. The lyrics are found in the blog dated January 17, 2006.

See you at the rally!

Shoba Mano.

Countdown To The Rally - Three Days To Go

Friends, Animal Lovers, Fellow Citizens

There are now only three days left for the rally. We hope you have reams and reams of signatures to submit to us on Saturday, January 21, 2006 at 4 pm at SPCA Selangor.

Whether you have five or five hundred signatures, please pat yourself in the back for it means you took the time to speak to at least one other person about the plight of animals in Malaysia. There is nothing like education to kill ignorance.

Please show up in person for the rally. Your presence will make a difference. Every person attending gives a voice to these beautiful, voiceless creatures.

Please bring along the lyrics of this song below and join in a sing along with the Remembering Sheena team.






The song below is to be sung to the tune of Bob Dylan's famous, Blowin' In The Wind:

"How many roads must an animal walk
To find a place to call home
How many seas must a seagull cross
To find an ocean pristine
Listen, how many cases must be brought to our courts
Before our hearts learn to bleed
The answer my friend, is in your hands, the answer is in your hands

How many years can an animal exist
Before it's allowed to be free
How many wails must pass through our ears
Before we actually hear
How many times can a man turn his head
And pretend he just doesn't see
Let the answer my friend not come too late
Let the answer not come too late."










We will observe a moment of silence for all the abused animals in Malaysia especially the ones whose names we will never know.

Our canine friends from MKA will be displaying their remarkable intelligence and agility through their many talents.

Come and make this a memorable day when all Malaysians can proudly say we stood up for the most fragile and helpless of God's creations.

Shoba Mano

"Never, never be afraid to do what's right, especially if the well being of a person or an animal is at stake. Society's punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way...The time is always right to do what is right" - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Gurmit Singh of Phua Chu Kang sitcom announces rally on TraxxFM

Gurmit Singh of the popular Singapore sitcom Phua Chu Kang announces the rally on TraxxFM. Catch the announcement between 9:00 am - 12:00 pm. till Friday January 20, 2006.

Make a difference to the lives of all animals. Turn up for the rally on January 21, 2006 at 4 pm at SPCA Selangor in Ampang.

Paula Malai Ali announcing the rally on REDFM

Hi Guys,

Tune in to Paula Malai Ali on January 18, 2006 at 8:00 am with Tim, another hot DJ from REDFM who will give you guys the up-dates on the rally this Saturday on January 21, 2006 at 4:00 pm. Don't forget to be there. Remember your presence will make a difference.

Animal Rescuers Speak On Light & Easy Radio

Chae Lian and Richard Gardner of Gardner & Wife, a theatre production company
and Sherrina who is Creative Consultant of Rhinowrites Communications will be speaking about their animal rescue program over Light & Easy Radio on January 18, 2006 at 9:00 am. Tune in to learn how ordinary citizens can help animals.

Battery Hens

Humane Society of the United States, filed criminal animal cruelty charges on January 9 this year against the owner and manager of Esbenshade Farms, Pennsylvania. It is one of the states largest egg farms. An investigator from an animal rights group, posing as an employee allegedly videotaped hens impaled by the cage wires and living in cages with the decomposing corpses of other hens, unable to reach food or water; and some left on the floor to die slowly.




Sadly this is the reality from where most of us get our eggs. Gone are the days when my grandmother used to send me to the coop to gather the eggs. I would gently shift them from one hand to another, marvelling at their warmth and smoothness while the hens roamed around in the back garden happily clucking and stretching out their wings. My maternal grandmother would cry if she saw the state of the world today.

In another case in Canada in October 2005, photos and video, taken on a farm in the Guelph area belonging to LEL Farms (and owned by a veterinarian with connections to the University of Guelph!) show birds covered in excrement, birds crammed into cages so small they can barely move, birds suffering from extreme feather loss, and escaped birds left to languish on a pile of manure three feet deep.

We at Remembering Sheena Campaign believe education will stop the abuse but when we hear of people like veterinarians indulging in abuse, I wonder...Does the vet simply switch his mind off to the knowledge that God created hens with the natural need for nesting, dust bathing, perching, and foraging? Maybe the dollar sign image in his head is so blown up it leaves little room for any other thought.

It is interesting to note that the industries indulging in harvesting eggs call themselves egg farms. The media calls them that too, but animal rights groups call them egg factories. The latter is closer to the truth.

Egg producers in the US have a voluntary industry animal welfare program which incidentally still allows many cruelties, including intensively confining birds in cages so overcrowded they can barely move.

It only sets forth the barest of minimum guidelines for battery-cage factory farms. Why do they bother? Who knows - just to get the animal rights activists off their backs and circumvent the law, I suppose.

If this is happening in USA and Canada, I dread to think where we get our eggs from in Malaysia.

Having bought free range eggs throughout the five years I lived in England I began to look for the same here. I never have found any eggs labelled free range in Malaysia. Worse, I've even seen photos of crowded battery hens proudly displayed on the labels underneath the name of the producer.

(sigh) I just may have to give up eating eggs and join PETA's stand on being a vegan. I'm half way there already. I don't eat any meat. I do however, take seafood, and that too selective (I don't eat sharksfin).

The very thought of every egg I consume comes from a tortured hens...quick somebody, anybody, point me to a simple kampung farmer with chickens in any State in Malaysia. I'll drive there once a month if I have to, just to get my eggs.

What is the world coming to? I wish the United Nations, the governments of the world, doctors, the policy makers, the Centre for Disease Control would stop looking for cures for diseases like bird flu and start looking for a cure for Mankind's heart. It's still pumping but you know what, it seems to have died a long time ago. We are actually living in the era where it is decomposing and stinking.

Is it any wonder that we keep seeing diseases like bird flu? You reap what you sow.

Turn up for the rally on January 21, 2006, guys!

Shoba Mano.

Remember The Rally!

Just a few updates on the rally (plus one misc point!):

(1) If you are coming in a group, do bring along a placard or sign which indicates where you're from/who you are! Or any other method of identifying you as a group. It'd be great to see organisational support to change the laws to protect domestic animals!

(2) If you have collected reams and reams of signatures (well, more than 300, for example), do come up to us so we might get you a spot on TV! Yes, we might even have a live feed! We will be wearing white t-shirts and wearing a "Remembering Sheena" tag.

(3) Do email us your contact details should you wish to be updated on Remembering Sheena via email. It'd be good if you could include your full name and cell phone number if you prefer text updates (we promise we won't sell your numbers off!).

See you on the 21st January 4pm @ the SPCA KL/Sel!

Shoba on Mix FM!

Shoba Mano, Remembering Sheena volunteer, will be on the Mix FM Breakfast Show on January 6th 2006 0830 with Richard and Shazmin. Tune in to hear campaign updates and other important information regarding the campaign!

Isn't It Ironic?

Yep, Alanis got it right. While under the new Shah Alam ruling in the Dog Licensing By-Law (1982), coming into effect on 9th Jan 2006, offending dog owners are subject to a fine of RM1,000 or serve a jail term of not more than 6 months, our national parliamentry laws for abusive and neglectful dog owners remain a penalty of RM200 only (and prison sentence of 6 months).

For more info, go to:

The Malay Mail article
News Straits Times article
The Star article


Happy New Year, everyone.

RALLY ON JANUARY 21, 2006

Happy New Year Everyone!

We are now 20 days closer to our rally. We know there are a lot of information here to digest, and forgive us if we have not clearly highlighted that our main focus at the moment is the rally to be held outside SPCA Selangor, Jalan Kerja Air Lama, 68000 Ampang, Selangor, MALAYSIA on Saturday, at 4 pm, January 21, 2006

We appeal to all of you to please be present at sharp 4:00 pm as we will only gather for a short time just to show support. We don't expect to be there longer than 30 minutes. As the days pass, we will keep you posted on what exactly is planned.

This is not a fiesta or carnival but a serious stand by members of the public to cry out for justice for all animals. Hence we appeal to you, even if it rains, even if the sun beats down on your heads please stand for justice. Don't let rain or sunshine beat us back into our comfort zones. Wear hats, bring raincoats if necessary, but come. Please come.

The rally is for the purpose of :

1. Supporting SPCA in its drive to obtain 100,000 signatures to Petition The Prime Minister to amend the Animal Ordinance 1953. Among the things we are seeking are:

a) We want to see mandatory one year jail sentences pronounced upon animal abusers.

b) We want a lifetime ban on convicted animal abusers from keeping animals

c) We want the courts to stop returning the abused animals to their abusive owners.

d) We want the fine raised to RM10,000.

e) We want all domestic animals to be given the right to exercise and medical treatment. Caging them and tying them for long hours is cruel and inhuman.

e) We want those drafting the new laws/amendments to consult NGOs and well-known animal rights activists instead of handing over this duty to legalists who have no knowledge of animal behaviour nor any compassion for them.

2. We want to launch an education drive to create awareness about all animals and the environment.

Please attend the rally outside SPCA Selangor, Jalan Kerja Air Lama, 68000 Ampang, Selangor, MALAYSIA on Saturday, at 4 pm sharp, January 21, 2006. Please download the Petition Forms at www.spca.org.my, obtain as many signatures as you can manually and bring the signed forms with you.

Let 2006 be a year where Malaysians came together for a selfless cause. A year when we stood up for something that did not personally benefit us but we did it because it was the right thing to do. I believe there are still people out there like that.

Thank you and once again, Happy New Year!