DBKK penalises homeowner for rearing 10 dogs
Published on: Wednesday, October 04, 2023
By: Sidney Skinner
This young boy looks on in horror as his mum tries to get away from one of the dogs which are released regularly on Lorong Buah Pala 2.
A KOLOMBONG rate-payer has been compounded for failing to comply with City Hall’s conditions on dog-rearing after almost a year.
A spokeswoman for City Hall’s Environmental Health Department said its personnel found 10 dogs inside the compound of the home in Taman Nelly Phase 1 last month.
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She said these pets were all full grown, with three seen in the front yard while the rest were kept at the back of the premises.
The homeowner had been asked to reduce the number of his/ her canines in September 2022, according to her.
One of the occupants could be seen keeping the dogs away from the front yard with a long cane.
“The individual was informed, in that instance, that he/ she could only rear two dogs at any one time and that these pets must be licensed.
“The rate-payer was instructed to relocate the unlicensed canines including the possibility of having them adopted.
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“On top of this, he/ she was also asked to take steps to ensure that his/ her dogs did not inconvenience, let alone menace, the public living along Lorong Buah Pala 2.”
She explained that these “steps” included not allowing his/ her pets to wander unsupervised in the common areas and to minimise the nuisance created by their barking.
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A notice to this affect was given to the homeowner on 28 September 2022, according to her.
City Hall personnel placing the compound through a slot in the front gate last month.
The spokesman said a five-man strong team went back to the premises on September 7.
“There were still as many dogs inside as the year before and the three occupants of the home disregarded our staff’s entreaties to speak to them.
“They refused to cooperate, refused to be drawn into a discussion and refused to answer any questions posed to them.”
She said a check of City Hall’s records, prior to this inspection, revealed that the rate-payer still had not registered his/ her canines.
“Owing to this a compound was issued to the individual.”
When asked about the amount of this penalty, she declined to comment.
“A compound for as much as RM500 can be imposed on offenders under City Hall’s Registration and Control of Dogs By Law 1963 (Amendment 2008).”
This action follows feedback that the canines posed a safety hazard to the public, with some homeowners on Lorong Buah Pala 2 and their children almost being bitten by these pets over the past few years.
Some of these near-victims personally relayed their harrowing experience to City Hall personnel during the check on September 7.
Others spoke out about finding the carcasses of cats and chickens which had been attacked by these pets.
Each of these rate-payers were of the opinion that these problems could be avoided if only the dog-owners did not insist on releasing their pets into the housing road between 5.30-6.00am regularly.
They felt that there was “something not quite right” about the occupants who were keeping these canines.
The spokeswoman said its Animal Control Division (ACD) went back to Taman Nelly Phase 1, just before dawn, two days later, during which time the agency’s staff managed to catch one dog.
“Our ACD will make periodic checks of Lorong Buah Pala 2 to try and catch any canines found roaming about unaccompanied on the housing road,” she said.
She said City Hall had received six separate reports about the menacing dogs in this part of the neighbourhood between May 2021 and September 5.
“One of these rate-payers even provided us with a copy of the police report which he made about this problem in August last year,” she said.
She said inspections were made in these instances, shortly after the agency became aware of the public’s grievances.
Efforts to reason with those who were rearing the dogs proved futile in every case, she said.
“Our staff remarked that the occupants behaved strangely, ‘seakan akan tidak waras (as if they were of unsound mind)’.
“On one occasion in July 2021, the three individuals began arguing and hitting themselves in front of our inspectors. In September last year, they ‘marah berteriak” ‘(became agitated and started screaming)’ at these personnel.”
During the check on September 7, she said, the agency’s staff found that the bars of the front gate covered with some silver sheets to obscure what was going on in the compound.
“Our personnel were denied entry and had to peep between the sheets to verify the presence of the canines inside. “
“When the occupants caught on to what was happening, one of them rudely, said: ‘lari kau la…u (get lost d…k-heads)’.”
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