Owners are ordered to relocate dogs
Published on: Saturday, May 29, 2021
By: Sidney Skinner
The compound of the house was in a mess. It was filled with rubbish, uncut grass and the canine faeces
TWO rate-payers, in Penampang and Kepayan, have been asked to relocate some of their dogs, following complaints about the nuisance created by their pets.The former was found to have 10 canines, while the latter had seven.
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Both individuals were reminded that only two such pets were allowed per household.
They were given a grace-period to comply with the requirements of the respective local authorities and warned that further action could be taken against them under the bylaws if they failed to do so.
Some of the canine ‘security guards’ can be seen in this unoccupied Penampang house.
A Penampang District Council spokesman said the house in Taman Sindo Phase 2, where the 10 dogs were being kept, was found to be unoccupied.
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“The canines were guarding an empty house, with a compound which had not been maintained in some time,” he said.
“There were patches of overgrown grass and rubbish, including empty mineral water bottles and bits of wood, strewn about inside.”
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He said the Council’s inspectors also noted that that the yard was reeking of the stench from the dogs’ excretions.
“At the time of the inspection, they managed to intercept the owner who had come to bring his pets some food.
“He was instructed to clean up his compound and to take better care of his canines.”
This included hosing down his yard regularly and properly disposing of the dogs’ faeces, according to him.
He said a notice was later issued to the rate-payer asking him to address these irregularities.
A City Hall inspector speaks to this Kepayan home-owner about his dogs.
HUGH of Penampang said the pet-owner did a poor job of cleaning up his pets’ faeces.
Consequently, he said a foul smell could be detected from the front yard where the dogs were kept.
“Sometimes, we can even see the canines’ stool littered about the compound,” he said.
“The sight of this waste and the stench make it unpleasant for us to be in our front yard.”
He bemoaned the lack of ventilation inside his home as he was forced to keep the doors and windows closed to prevent the foul smell from getting in.
Hugh also lamented the noise from the compound, which he said disrupted the peace in the neighbourhood.
“It is especially trying on those nursing or looking after babies, as these young ones start crying because of the noise.
“Some of my neighbours are ill and infirm. They complain that it is difficult to take a nap during the day.”
He said the incessant barking often deprived him and his family of a restful sleep at night.
District Council staff having a word with the homeowner (centre) who had come to feed his pets.
“I see a man bringing plastic bags of leftovers regularly to the house but this individual does not stay there. He goes away after feeding the canines.
“Lorries go into the compound from time to time and workers can be seen unloading goods into the house.
“This makes me wonder if the place is being used as a warehouse, with the dogs serving as ‘security’ of sorts for the premises.”
Hugh provided Hotline with the location of the home in question which was forwarded to the Council.
Meanwhile, a Kepayan dog-owner is in the process of reducing the number of canines in his compound in Taman Selesa, per requests from City Hall to do so.
The individual has two adult dogs, both of which are licenced, and five puppies. He has succeeded in having three of the latter adopted so far.
A spokeswoman for City Hall’s Health and Environment Department said the agency’s inspectors went to the home in Taman Selesa on May 20.
“At the time, the pet-owner asked for a little more time to find homes for the remaining two pups,” she said.
“If need be, we can step in to assist him in this regard.”
She said this was second time that the agency’s Animal Control Unit (ACU) had inspected the home in May.
The spokeswoman was responding to another rate-payer’s claims that City Hall had failed to crackdown on the number of dogs which his neighbour was rearing.
DONI of Kepayan claimed that the original pair inside this property had given birth several times since last year, with the family growing with each new litter.
At one stage, he said there were as many as eight full-grown canines in his yard.
He wanted to know how the agency could be turning a blind eye to these developments as the situation seemed to be getting out of hand.
Doni provided Hotline with the location of the home with the canines. This information was forwarded to City Hall.
The spokeswoman refuted the allegation that the dog woes there were going on unattended, saying that the ACU had made multiple checks of the neighbourhood over the past year.
She said a fresh inspection was carried out after the agency got wind of the latest additions in the dog-owner’s compound.
She said, in light of concerns about the expanding family of canines in his yard, he was advised to have his original pair neutered.
During the most recent check in the third week of May, the agency’s staff were made to understand that the male dog had already undergone this procedure.
“We have urged him to do the same to the female.”
She said the pet-owner was also asked to ensure that his dogs remained inside his compound.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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