Can a person love a dog so much that he or she is willing to
part with thousands of dollars, just to be with the animal? This is
the question that is bugging STOMPer MakeLoveNotWar, after he read
the court case of a doctor and his ex-girlfriend, who are in a
legal battle over their pet terrier.
Dr Tan Kok Chye, 36, a surgeon, and Ms Connie Tan, 29, a business
executive, first bought the dog, Sasha, in August 2008, when they
were living in Alabama, in the US.
When they broke up shortly after that, Ms Tan brought the dog home
to Singapore in November that year. However, Sasha disappeared from
her Sembawang flat in March this year, and Ms Tan claims that she
had learnt the dog was at Dr Tan's apartment, and that he may have
taken the dog from her home.
The High Court granted Ms Tan's request for the dog to be handed
over to her until the ownership dispute is resolved.
After reading
the story in STOMP's Court Room section, STOMPer MakeLoveNotWar
wrote in STOMP, saying:
"How much would a terrier cost, $1,000 to $2,000?
"But according to the report, legal fees and costs in a High Court
case can amount to at least $8,000.
"I know a dog is a man's best friend and all, but is it really
worth it paying so much money to fight over a dog?
"There are many poor people starving, disease-stricken and dying
all over the world. Wouldn't the money be put to better use by
donating it to these people?
"Let's talk about the issue of animal love in general, and put the
case aside.
"I feel that sometimes we misplace our compassion. We go on and on
about how we should treat animals well, and we fight for animal
rights and we spend so much money on our pets, but we do nothing
about human beings dying around the world.
"We don't even need to go too far, there are many needy people in
Singapore that we can donate to, instead of treating our pets like
kings."
http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/sgseen/this_urban_jungle/376550/doc_and_exgf_fight_in_court_over_dog_is_it.html
