Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng took to Twitter to refute allegations of cruel killings of dogs in Penang. — Twitter pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 22 — Lim Guan Eng took to social media today to refute the authenticity of several gory photographs showing bloodied dogs that a Twitter user used to link to the controversy in Penang over the culling of strays.

The Penang chief minister accused Twitter user @thecatsrgrowlin of lying, saying the photographs, nine in total and put together in a collage, were not of dogs in Penang.

“Pls don’t lie.These r not pics from Pg.We have run out of vaccines even 4pet dogs.Will welcome any but still waiting,” he wrote on the social media site. The response was also posted on Lim’s Facebook page.

@thecatsrgrowlin had earlier tagged Lim to the collage, which also contained a warning in Chinese that read: “Innocent dogs, you must remember this man!!”, along with a smiling picture of the chief minister.

The Penang administration is under fire for its decision to cull stray dogs to stamp out rabies, a move several groups have said is unnecessary when vaccines could be used instead.

On Facebook, several users expressed support for Lim’s remarks while others slammed the chief minister for taking the harsher approach to handling the state’s rabies problem.

“Lie or not, can you please stop killing dogs?! Have some mercy please!” Facebook user Lor Kam Hoi wrote.

The comment triggered several responses, with users asking Lor if he had a better solution to the culling.

“Then send all the stray dogs to ur house and u will assure that they won’t get rabbies and come out and bite your neighbours or even ur family members?” Kenny Foo wrote.

Facebook user Nadhirah Ha said although vaccination would be a better long-term solution, the issue of sufficient vaccines should be considered.

“Sure culling is not ideal... culling is a cruel idea... but we are not living in an ideal world because we failed to “move our butts”/partake actively (and not be an empty tin can making the most noise).

“Even the most compassionate dog shelter in Penang is over-crowded. So step-up the game, let us all learn from this, stop pointing fingers, instead welcome any volunteers/aids that you can offer. The blood is not on our CM Lim Guan Eng’s hands... it is on all of ours,” she wrote.

On Twitter, @oceanbiru told @thecatsrgrowling to “come to my taman to pick up the strays... up to you for vaccination or culling”.

Another Twitter user, DaniellOzy asked @thecatsrgrowlin,”Why are you using a old picture to make urself famous”.

Earlier today, Lim told an international group that promised free anti-rabies vaccine to stop the state’s culling of strays to show that the 50,000 doses offered exist.

The Bagan MP, who is already under pressure from various animal welfare groups for approving the culling of stray dogs in the state in bid to stamp out rabies, told the NGO to simply deliver the vaccines now.

He was responding to a statement by Worldwide Veterinary Services (WVS) that offered the vaccines and manpower to assist the state in mass inoculation of dogs in the state.

Veterinary Services Department director Dr Siti Salmiah Tahir today confirmed that the state has run out of rabies vaccines as of last night and that new stock should arrive by October.

She also noted that the number of people bitten by dogs had risen dramatically from 36 cases as of early yesterday to 41 cases last night.

In the 36 cases, 21 were by strays while 15 by pets.

A total 342 stray dogs in Penang were killed since the culling operation started on Sept 16. Of the 342 dogs, only 50 samples were taken to be sent to the Veterinary Research Institute in Ipoh, Perak for diagnosis on rabies.

So far, only three stray dogs, who had bitten humans in Penang, were tested positive for rabies and no humans have been tested positive for rabies.