Video of Man Hitting His Husky Goes Viral, Investigations for Alleged Animal Cruelty Underway

A video recently went viral of a man seen allegedly abusing his pet dog on his condominium balcony. The video was shared by an independent animal rescuer on July 1 and was taken by a witness from an opposite block. In the video, the shirtless man appeared to hit the dog several times with his bare hands violently.

He then walked away from the dog, only to return and pick up an object to forcefully hit the dog. The man is allegedly a badminton player, and the condo is situated in Kajang.

Along with the footage, the woman who posted the video urged Malaysians to help lodge reports to the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) and the police to save the dog. Numerous reports were made by Malaysians, who also shared the video on their own social media pages.

Image Credit: @myforeverdoggo | Instagram

A Malaysian Instagram page for dogs @myforeverdoggo with almost 100K followers shared the chain of incidents following the shocking event. On July 2, the rescuer carried out a rescue mission with a group of rescuers, speaking with the man who handed over the Husky, a huge dog with black and white fur, to her. According to the rescuer, the man confessed that it was not the first time he had hit his dogs.

According to an Instagram post by the page, “The victim, now named Kitster, is traumatised but is being examined at a veterinary clinic and cared for by the vets, nurses and the rescuer.” According to FMT, the dog had no visible wounds. However, the man still had a second dog, a Pomeranian, with him, which could also be seen in the video (but was not hit).

However, the man later accused the rescuer of kidnapping his dog and lodged a police report, according to Malay Mail. Consequently, the rescuer was instructed by the police to either return Kitster to the owner or the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS).

Watch the video here. There is also a second video of the dog with the rescuer. Note that the content may be distressful for some:

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A post shared by Influencer, But For Doggos (@myforeverdoggo)

Investigations ongoing

According to FMT, the veterinary services department (DVS) has said that the case is being investigated according to Section 29(1)(a) of the Animal Welfare Act for animal cruelty. They have also taken statements from the dog’s owner; the canine is now under their care as of July 4. According to DVS, they have not issued any statement regarding the condition of the husky.

If found guilty, the suspect could be fined not less than RM20,000 but not more than RM100,000, imprisoned for a maximum of three years, or both. “The investigation paper into the alleged animal abuse will be referred to the deputy public prosecutor in the nearest future for further instruction,” DVS said.

Meanwhile, in an official statement, the DVS stated that, "The Veterinary Services Department advises individuals and associations related to animal welfare to forward complaints to the department and not initiate their own actions, which could jeopardise investigations."

"Given this, the Veterinary Services Department will not hesitate to initiate legal action against those involved," the statement added.

If you have witnessed any instances of animal abuse, fill in this form with any evidence and information you have, even if you only saw it online. Note that the complainant’s details are kept confidential.

Featured Image Credit: @myforeverdoggo | Instagram