A Dog's Life in Brunei
A Dog's Life By David Cheok
View in HD Download 360p Version Visit David Cheok's ExposureRoom Videos Page
View in HD Download 360p Version Visit David Cheok's ExposureRoom Videos Page
posted by David at
9/08/2008 12:41:00 AM
28 Comments:
I am very much moved by the video. I love animals, including cats and dogs. Since I am a Muslim I dont take dogs as my pet. Although in Islam we are not allowed to touch dogs, we have no rights to kill them in any way, they are after all Allah creatures. In fact, Islam has taught us to be kind to all animals including dogs; all animals under your care should be well taken care of and at the same time you should not impart any act of cruelty to other animals not directly under your care. I would also suggest those who use dogs as their home guards should feed and treat them well as much as these dogs have taken care of your worldly possessions as these creatures are well known for their undivided loyalty. We can see the growing number of strayed dogs at construction sites and when the construction project is done, nobody take any concern to the plight of those dogs who have serviced them well and left them there unremorsely. i am so sad to know that sumone can be extremely kind to cats but act totally the opposite towards other animals such as dogs.
I am also a muslim.. I used to play with them.. but ever since my conversion, it does not mean I have to treat them badly. I grew up with them. Dogs, like all living beings, need love and attention. They do not ask for much. They dont ask for cars, toys nor money. All they ask for is a chance to live and to be loved and cared for.
Throughout my life in Brunei, 80% of my pets all died of poisoning. Yes, 80%. The other 20% died of injuries from cars and others. Can you imagine what it feels like to watch an animal grow and mature as part of your family only to watch them die from poisoning? We have seen so much of it and buried so many of them that my father refused to take another pet to look after our home.
These dogs were strays, They came to us, weak and hungry. We gave them shelter and a home and fed them when no one else wanted them. So, in return, they protected our home. Yes, they barked and at times chased people who walked by our road. What do people expect them to do? Its their basic instinct. It is what they do naturally. People just dont understand that. You hear stories of dogs attacking kids. I have no fear of dogs. I know they leave you alone if you dont bother them. I'm very sure those that attack people are those that were attacked or threatened.
What these people did to these dogs is unforgivable. Its murder. Intentional Motivated taking of a life. They never have to see these dogs die. Shaking and convulsing and finally suffocating in their own vomit. It is cruel and vicious. I pray that Allah SWT will return the favour.
I think the reason why stray dogs attacked human is that they are provoked when hungry, esp those trained to be fierce in the presence of people since they were mainly used as guard dogs. Stray dogs formed groups and since they have no proper owners, they were not properly fed and they roamed around the area to find food, sometimes these dogs have to kill cats for food. These stray dogs breed and produce more stray dogs which have no contact whatsoever with a human. Most of the time, they could not find any food and you very often see emaciated dogs that look weak and in a very sad condition.I wished we have local RSPCA to help these helpless animals. Those animals were in this sad situation because of human selfishness and human lack of compassion. They attack human because they were hungry, frustrated with human treatment and sick of our selfishness and compassionless attitude.
Dogs and cats are domestic animals, meaning they must have owners in order to survive. They are not naturally wild so they have no natural instict to hunt. I cannot understand those people who take short cuts by abandoning them expecting these animals, cats and dogs alike, to find food for themselves. Those who abandoned these animals are indirectly sending them to their deaths slowly. I can still remember an abandoned little kitten just sat in the middle of the road at the Pasar gadong road as if saying just run over me, already sick and tired of living. I have been taking a few stray cats home and adopted them as my pets. They are the most wonderful and grateful creatures ever since. You can try adopting those abandoned animals rather than spending hundreds of dollars to own a well-bred pet animal.That money can be spent on its food probably for the rest of its life.
Hello! your video about a dog's life is very touching especially the backgound music. Can i know the title of the music? thank u
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I am so sad and speechless watching "A Dog's Life" video! How can such people do that to the dogs who have their own master? Whether the dogs are stray or tame, that doesnt mean they have the rights to kill this innocent animal? I'm just speechless when i looked at the dogs dying. To those who killed this animals, how would you feel if your family cat got poisoned and die like how the poor dog did!!! Really sad!...can i get the link to this video so that i can publish in my blog?
Click on the Visit ExposureRoom Videos Page, click on the video, there should be some embed tags there.
Click on the Visit ExposureRoom Videos Page, click on the video, there should be some embed tags there.
Stray dogs only have to take care of themselves from the menace of compassionless human, but stray cats have to take care of themselves from some inconsiderate and again compassionless human, moving cars AND also stray dogs. So stray cats are worse off, dont you think? I saw some cats with their tails cut off, bite marks from dogs, etc; they were always on the run, and were extremely terrified when night comes....My heart goes to every stray cat in Brunei.
Dogs get hit by cars too. All stray animals suffer the same risks whether cats or dogs but cats are not INTENTIONALLY poisoned/murdered. This video is not about strays but about humans intentionally killing animals.
May Allah bless the dogs who died in the video. All animals (including dogs!) go to Heaven. Who ever is responsible for the killing, Allah will punish them. Dogs are created by God. It's doesn't mean Muslims must hate them. The main reason why Muslims cannot touch dogs is due to rabies. But if the dog is clean, healthy, dry and vaccinated, we can touch them. I am a Muslim and I touch and hug dogs. I love dogs so much. And cats too. Dogs are amazing creatures. Whatever happen to the kids being mauled by dogs is an accident. These are all a test from God. But that doesn't mean we have to punish the dogs and torture them. The dogs are strays, they are hungry, traumatized and have no where to go. It's not their fault. Its our authorities who should look after this problem. Strays must be taken and kept in a dog pound. Hire non-Muslims to clean them, vaccinate them and give them to proper, loving home for free. That's the ONLY solution. In the meantime, it is encouraged to sterilize pets so that we can control the animal population. It should be done free at the government vet. If this inhumane killing continues, I would have no choice but to contact PETA or RSPCA.
Now that the coming Hari Raya, people are already starting to sell fireworks. It is not my favorite time of the year. I am 100% against the use and sale of fireworks. People playing fireworks are so selfish and irresponsible. Using fireworks to celebrate Hari Raya, is not the Islamic way. I am sad for animals who have to suffer from the noise. Dogs especially can detect an earthquake or tsunami before it happens. Imagine how they feel when they are near fireworks. Imagine worst enough if they are in a cage, or tied around the neck. Only God knows how they feel. May Allah protect all these animals who are affected by it. I am traumatized just thinking about it.
I am a muslim too. its wrong to kill dogs unless they carry rabies! period.
it was narrated that a man walking along a path felt very thirsty. Reaching a well, he descended into it, drank his fill, and came up.
Then he saw a dog with its tongue hanging out, trying to lick up mud to quench its thirst.
The man said, "This dog is feeling the same thirst that I felt." So he went down into the well again, filled his shoe with water and gave the dog a drink.
So, Almighty God forgave his sins.
The Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) was asked, "Messenger of God, are we rewarded for kindness towards animals?" Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) said: There is a reward for kindness to every living animal or human.
All my dogs were killed by them within one morning too. Its so depressing to see them painfully dying. I believe in karma and reincarnation! Please stop this inhumane act.
Every person is entitled to his/her opinion. As for me, I dont believe in karma and reincarnation. And into this issue of poisoned stray dogs, I I am totally against the killing of those animals because nobody has any right in taking other living creature's life, for each of these living creatures is the creation of Allah. So it is not in the teachings of Islam to randomly kill any stray dog even though it is one of the animals prohibited by Islam to be touched by Muslims apart from pigs. And for those who keep dogs, be more responsible towards your pets, do not leave them roaming around in the neighbourhood, keep them well fed because if they are, they will not become brutal and do not train them to be too fierce when they see human. There are differences between loose dogs and loose cats. But I want to stress NOBODY has any right to poison/kill animals even if they are wild and strayed and I am a Muslim.
So who is to blame?? The human or the dogs??
Does the word "HARAM" mean anything to the muslims who TOUCH and HUG the dogs?
this is pathetic, i doesnt know much about HARAM but does it mean muslim have the right to 'destroy' anything that is HARAM?
If i'm not mistaken, i think muslims are only NOT allowed to touch only the nose part of the dog for they consider that part 'dirty'? I don't know but like everyone say, that doesn't give anyone any right to play God and kill these poor animals intentionally.
But then again, what are we going to do about this? I doubt the local authorities would take any action anytime soon. However, to prevent animal cruelty/abuse, i would encourage you guys to pay a bit more attention and offer support to local animal support group like the Animal Shelter, Brunei for starting up a shelter. For now i think that's the one and only community doing something about strays and offering adoption. I'm sure if they're efforts in starting this pay off, there will be more Animal Shelters in the future to control strays and prevention of animal cruelty.
By the way, is it okay if i post a copy of your video to Youtube, David?
Its already there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6y6nM8SU6cE
Sorry for the loss of your dogs. I remember growing up and having malay kids stone my dogs on the way to ugama school. But bear in mind, it's not only the malay community that practice animal cruelty. I myself am chinese and I bear a heavy heart having to say this but before I moved house my neighbor used to throw firecrackers at my dogs. There was a time where he would carve a spear out of a bamboo pole and throw it at the dog. Lucky for us he had bad aim. But it's not like I could do much about it. Culture teaches us to respect our elders. How do you respect someone who abuses animals that dont do harm to them ?
I cried while watching your video as it reminded me of my own pet dog few years back. He was poisoned by some people in the neighbourhood and that was exactly what happened to him before he succumbed to his death. It was painful to witness and when I watched your video it crushed my heart because the very same cruelty is still happening in Brunei. But where is the solution to this problem?
basically i sad to said this will happen again and again in brunei 'the kingdom of unexpected treasure'. it seem like dog are forbidden to live peacefully with human in brunei. what can we do about it? why do the authorities care about it?
to all the Muslims who hate dogs, check this out: http://www.islamicconcerns.com/dogs.asp
1. It is NOT haraam to own a dog, though it is not hygienic to keep a dog in the house.
2. It is NOT haraam to touch a dog or any other animal. If the saliva of a dog touches you or any part of your clothing, then it is required of you to wash the body part touched and the item of clothing touched by the dog’s mouth or snout.
WTH? Then where did the idea of not allowed to touch dogs at all come from? What exactly are the kids being taught?
it's the culture.
Malays have been taught not to touch dogs to the extent that they are considered 'haram'.
and yes it is not haram to touch it, its a najis. that once in contact, the person has to cleanse himself by washing and tayammum (using the soil/earth).
being a muslim myself knowing all these doesnt make me feel like touching one. its just the culture here dat we have been taught earlier not to touch it.
I used to save a dog from drowning in the brunei river using a rope while others were just simply watching till i got help from 2 aussies to help bring the dog up from the river. I wished at that time i hadnt had the fear of touching it, but mentally I was not prepared to touch the dog despite it being drowning.
SAY NO TO ANIMAL CRUELTY
I am an animal lover and a Muslim, I was interested in why it was that dogs were seen as bad in our religion and was surprised to find that there is nothing in the Quran that states that dogs are evil or that we should not keep that as pets or touch them.
In my search I did find a number of passages in the Hadith where Muhammad, initially ordered the murder of all dogs within Medina, He however changes this at a later date to only Vicous/ nusance dogs.
There is nothing in either that say's that it is forbidden to touch dogs.
It was only a couple of days ago that I was made aware of this video. Being my third time visiting Brunei, I was unaware of the situation regarding strays and poisoning. It really hit me hard tonight seeing it first hand myself. Avoiding two young puppies myself at a roundabout, I was going around again so that I would be able to stop and remove the dogs from the road. These puppies were in plain sight and it only took my time to speed around the roundabout for one of those puppies to lose their life. Being in plain sight leads me to believe it was an intentional move by the driver. Before visiting, it was hard for me to imagine and conceive that there are people out there, regardless of religion, that would have the capacity to take a life of one of God's creations. Although I am not at ease about these actions, I know in my heart that people who commit these heinous crimes will have to answer to a higher order. Off to one of Brunei's animal shelters tomorrow to donate food to allow and assist them in their efforts to help prevent things like this occuring in the future...
Those who take dogs as their pets or their servants should never keep them if they cannot feed them, cannot control them, cannot provide good health care, cannot provide good shelter, etc. If you start to adopt them you should consider all the things that come along with the lives of a dog. They can live for more than a decade, they breed, they need space to run around (if you dont have enough space around your house, you will have to bring them for a walkabout in the park with a leash if necessary, this is what is expected in some foreign country for they have a rule that dogs must be on a leash if taken around a public area). So those who release their dogs to the open environment at nights to let them venture out and hunt for their food, then it can be an offence if you are living in some countries where the regulations to keep pets are very stringent. Did you see stray dogs roaming around in the streets at night in countries where there is an enforcing organisation against cruelty of animals? Stray dogs and cats exist because some owners just abandoned them because they are fed up with them or they move places of stay or they feel that they are a burden to them or they no longer need their service esp in guarding their stores of belongings. This is an offence in some countries. Stray dogs my cause the spread of rabies. The authorities may be concerned about the increasing number of stray dogs because it may endanger human health and also public safety.The poisonings of the stray dogs were more likely to be carried out by some members of the public who are either fed up by the unresponsive attitude of some irresponsible dog owners who did nothing to avoid any possible brutal attack on human or in some other cases just being naughty and cruel. A stray animal may used to be a pet in one part of their lives or one of their parents used to be a pet so most stray animals must have had an owner before they live on the street. So the root of all these problems lie on the very first time when somebody decides to own a pet! It is all after the decision to adopt that we have the dilemma of whether we have that strength and willpower of keeping that pet! In short, we should not put all the blame to those who we think hate dogs due to ignorance of religious views on dogs, the responsibilities should also be burdened to those who start it all by abandoning those animals in the first place after taking them under their care for whatever reasons they may have. In some countries, they may even sue the owners of fish in an aquarium who have left them for their holidays. Yes, it really does happen!
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