KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 23 — After carcasses of a dog and a cat were found at a veterinary clinic in Damansara Damai recently, a lawyer has called for the veterinarian involved to be immediately hauled to court. 

Lawyer Rajesh Nagarajan, representing Pertubuhan Pelindung Khazanah Alam Malaysia (PEKA), said the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) director-general should resign if the department fails to initiate court proceedings against the veterinarian within 24 hours.

Rajesh also urged the Malaysian Veterinary Council (MVC) to suspend the veterinarian and launch a probe into the alleged negligence. 

The case sparked public outrage after videos and images showing two carcasses — a cat and a dog — in a poorly-maintained veterinary clinic in Damansara Damai began circulating on social media.

Last Friday, the DVS reported that a total of 1,920 complaints had been lodged against the clinic for animal neglect and would investigate the matter under Section 112 of the Criminal Procedure Code. 

However, Rajesh questioned the delay in legal actions against the veterinarian, even with compelling evidence and close to 2,000 reports already lodged against the clinic. 

“Stop giving excuses that investigations are ongoing or that statements are being recorded. The Malaysian people will not accept these lame excuses. 

“The evidence is clear. The clinic looks like a rubbish dump site with expired medicines everywhere and there were dog and cat carcasses found.

“So, this veterinarian must be charged immediately. 

“Otherwise, we will get down to the streets and protest in Putrajaya and in front of the Parliament,” he told reporters at a press conference in his law firm, here, today.

At the press conference, PEKA vice-president Dr Kartini Farah Rahim shared pictures of the dead dog and cats, explaining that the animals seemed to be left starved for days in tiny cages.

The cat was found dead in a kitten carrier that was placed on top of the dog’s cage.

The three-year-old dog, nicknamed Pumpkin, was handed over to the veterinarian by its caretaker Jessie Lee Kam Mei, 57, in July 2025 for it to be adopted by a new owner.

“My friend passed Pumpkin to me in July but my apartment has a no-pet policy. So, I entrusted Pumpkin to the veterinarian, who assured me she will find a new owner for it,” Lee told reporters today.

However, Lee was shocked to hear from the veterinarian that the dog had died and was already buried on December 12 — but its decomposing carcass was discovered by animal activists three days later in the clinic.

The latest rescue mission was led by animal activist Shima Aris after receiving a tip-off about alleged animal neglect in the clinic.

Shima said the only silver lining is that she managed to rescue a black cat that was found wandering around inside the clinic.

“The cat was malnourished and not neutered yet when we found him.

“We have placed at a proper vet clinic now and I think he is going to make it,” she said.