Police officers befriend stray dog during pandemic
It’s unfortunately not difficult to find stray animals on our streets. Thankfully, there are always big-hearted Malaysians willing to spare time to feed and play with them. The same can be said about these 3 PDRM officers in Johor, who befriended a stray dog named Johnny while manning roadblocks for over a year during the MCO.
When the officers’ loyal companion got injured, they came to the dog’s aid and rushed him to the animal clinic to be treated. They also offered to pay for his treatment costs despite having little to spare from their pockets at this time.
Dog accompanied them during midnight and rainy shifts
The story was shared in a series of posts on Facebook on 30th May 2021 by Kuan Chee Heng – or Uncle Kentang, who is known for helping out Malaysians. In the first Facebook post about Johnny, Uncle Kentang shared how he was moved to tears when he learned about the 3 police officers’ friendship with the dog.
Their determination to help Johnny out was something he described a “best human effort”.
Image credit: Kuan Chee Heng
The PDRM officers had apparently been working for a year at a roadblock in Kota Tinggi during the MCO, where they would often bump into Johnny. They became best friends with the dog, who often accompanied them during their late-night shifts, even rainy days.
A video shared by Uncle Kentang shows the officers running around and having fun with Johnny on an empty street.
Image credit: Kuan Chee Heng
When Johnny suffered serious injuries to his stomach and a broken leg from an accident, the officers spared no time to stage a rescue mission for him. They were determined to send him to an animal clinic for X-ray and treatment, despite knowing that treatment for Johnny would be expensive due to the extent of his injuries.
Image credit: Kuan Chee Heng
In an update to his initial post, Uncle Kentang shared that Johnny had been sent to a vet in JB to be treated for his injuries following the rescue mission. He also said that many had been “kan cheong” to help out Johnny, as can be seen from the flurry of responses he was getting from Malaysians from different walks of life – which he cited as a true Malaysian value.
As of yesterday, 31st May, the police officers paid RM180 for Johnny’s treatment, despite being initially short of money.
The cost to amputate Johnny’s leg, however, is said to amount to RM3,000.
Uncle Kentang had mentioned in a post that he would be helping to foot the dog’s operation cost.
Many Malaysians have also taken to the comments section to share photos of their donations for Johnny’s operation costs via bank transfers to Uncle Kentang. Donations include amounts of RM20, RM50 and even RM100, all in the name of helping Johnny out.
Police officers befriend stray dog and help find treatment for his injuries
Dogs are typically friendly creatures, so it’s heartbreaking to see them having to fend for themselves on the streets. Fortunately, helpful Malaysians such as these 3 police officers in Johor are helping to look out for them, even in the midst of a pandemic.
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Cover image adapted from: Kuan Chee Heng and Kuan Chee Heng