Dog owners must be brought to heel
A serious effort must be made to control the population of stray and feral dogs on Penang island and the mainland. With the number growing to alarming proportions, they are not only a nuisance and an embarrassment, but also becoming a menace.
A case in point is the attack by a stray dog on 5-year-old Siti Nur Aisyah Zainon outside her Taman Bagan flat in Butterworth last month. The little girl needed 15 stitches on the back of her neck after she was bitten.
There have been numerous accidents caused by strays chasing motorcyclists and pedestrians as well. And, imagine the state government's embarrassment early last month when the carcasses of eight strays were found in the Teluk Bahang tourist belt area, known for its pristine sandy beach. A post-mortem showed the dogs had been poisoned, and state Health, Welfare and Caring Society committee chairman Phee Boon Poh said more dogs had died that week.
He said he was waiting for a report from the Veterinary Services Department before deciding what needed to be done. He'd better act fast, because for years people have been waiting for a viable solution to the problem of stray dogs. And it is time the local councils, the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) and Seberang Prai Municipal Council (MPSP) to take steps to address it.
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Penang, in existence for 60 years, has for years been picking up strays from the markets, public eating places, and wherever and whenever they are called upon. They collect an average of 12,000 strays a year.
"We have been trying very hard to create a 'Stray-Free Penang' by educating both young and old on responsible pet ownership. "But the SPCA cannot achieve this without the help of the local councils, state government and pet owners, who are largely responsible for the problem," said SPCA chairman Dr Choong Sim Poey. There must be a coordinated effort among the local councils, the veterinary department and veterinary clinics to address the problem of non-neutered dogs roaming around.
Most of them are pets allowed to loaf for hours, and some getting lost. Others are abandoned, perhaps because of over-breeding.Rounding up these dogs or shooting them on sight does not address the problem of careless or irresponsible owners. Dr Choong says a sensible approach would be to introduce a differential licensing fee -- lowering the fee or not charging anything for spayed and neutered dogs, and raising the fees for those who do not spay or neuter. Micro-chipping should be introduced for all pet dogs so that if a dog is lost or abandoned, its owner can be traced and penalised.
The regulations limiting the number of dogs per household must also be enforced: one dog per link house, two dogs for semi-detached dwellings, three dogs in bungalows and four in bungalow lots above 1,100 square metres. Another way to control strays is to educate the public on responsible pet ownership through billboards and other displays. A roving dog is a menace and a pack of them can be terrifying, so we must all work together to create a stray-free Penang and bring the shine back to the Pearl of the Orient - Agencies.
A case in point is the attack by a stray dog on 5-year-old Siti Nur Aisyah Zainon outside her Taman Bagan flat in Butterworth last month. The little girl needed 15 stitches on the back of her neck after she was bitten.
There have been numerous accidents caused by strays chasing motorcyclists and pedestrians as well. And, imagine the state government's embarrassment early last month when the carcasses of eight strays were found in the Teluk Bahang tourist belt area, known for its pristine sandy beach. A post-mortem showed the dogs had been poisoned, and state Health, Welfare and Caring Society committee chairman Phee Boon Poh said more dogs had died that week.
He said he was waiting for a report from the Veterinary Services Department before deciding what needed to be done. He'd better act fast, because for years people have been waiting for a viable solution to the problem of stray dogs. And it is time the local councils, the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) and Seberang Prai Municipal Council (MPSP) to take steps to address it.
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Penang, in existence for 60 years, has for years been picking up strays from the markets, public eating places, and wherever and whenever they are called upon. They collect an average of 12,000 strays a year.
"We have been trying very hard to create a 'Stray-Free Penang' by educating both young and old on responsible pet ownership. "But the SPCA cannot achieve this without the help of the local councils, state government and pet owners, who are largely responsible for the problem," said SPCA chairman Dr Choong Sim Poey. There must be a coordinated effort among the local councils, the veterinary department and veterinary clinics to address the problem of non-neutered dogs roaming around.
Most of them are pets allowed to loaf for hours, and some getting lost. Others are abandoned, perhaps because of over-breeding.Rounding up these dogs or shooting them on sight does not address the problem of careless or irresponsible owners. Dr Choong says a sensible approach would be to introduce a differential licensing fee -- lowering the fee or not charging anything for spayed and neutered dogs, and raising the fees for those who do not spay or neuter. Micro-chipping should be introduced for all pet dogs so that if a dog is lost or abandoned, its owner can be traced and penalised.
The regulations limiting the number of dogs per household must also be enforced: one dog per link house, two dogs for semi-detached dwellings, three dogs in bungalows and four in bungalow lots above 1,100 square metres. Another way to control strays is to educate the public on responsible pet ownership through billboards and other displays. A roving dog is a menace and a pack of them can be terrifying, so we must all work together to create a stray-free Penang and bring the shine back to the Pearl of the Orient - Agencies.
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