I WRITE in response to DBKK Mayor’s statement dated 31 May 2022, which has raised more questions than answers regarding the status of animal welfare in KK and the current situation regarding the management of the DBKK dog pound and the humane dog population management. She said and quote:
“The Animal Control Division under the City Environmental Health Department, DBKK has received a total of 617 dog harassment complaints in 2021 and a total of 263 complaints have been received this year, as of 23 May 2022. Among the things complained of were stray dogs chasing, barking or biting the public and this situation caused public concern for their safety.”
Many of the dogs perceived as stray are in fact owned dogs, as irresponsible owners allow their dogs to roam the streets. DBKK should be pursuing and investigating these owners and each complaint to assess the nature and severity of the issue as well as to ensure it is valid and substantiated, and that the parties making the complaints have proof of their claims and not simply complaining because they don’t like dogs.
If dog owners are involved they ought to be educated on responsible pet ownership, neutering and keeping dogs safe and secure in compounds .. all of this should be done before any dog is forcibly removed.
DBKK should be issuing warning letters to irresponsible owners and if action is not taken to rectify the situation, DBKK should then be issuing heavy fines and even pursing legal avenues. An education plan in schools and the community should also be implemented as these issues affect everyone. One complaint does not a case make.
“Residents also complained of being disturbed by the noise of dogs barking, rubbish bins being ransacked by dogs and litter scattered as well as an uncomfortable and dirty environment.”
This is a human issue and again irresponsible dog owners who allow their dogs to roam around unneutered, getting into fights and barking. Rather than penalising the dogs DBKK should be cracking down on these irresponsible owners and issuing them with warning and substation fines. There need to be a systematic crack down so people will take note.
Overflowing rubbish bins are often unkept and broken and if the public is making complaints about the ‘uncomfortable and dirty environment’ they need to take responsibility for their actions and behaviour and be more mindful of what they do with rubbish. This is not solely down to stray dogs so let’s stop pointing the finger and vilify the dogs, stray or owned.
“As a Local Authority, DBKK is responsible to ensure that the issue of stray dogs is controlled so as not to pose a risk of harassment to the public.”
PTS (Put To Sleep) is not a form of controlling the stray cat and dog population... it is quite simply Murder and a knee jerk reaction to a deeply rooted and long standing issue that has yet to be correctly dealt with and resolved.
The issues of strays didnt’ happened over night... the situation is caused by irresponsible dog owners, dogs being dumped, breeding and the selling of dogs privately, in shops and Gaya Street and other market. Dogs being used for security by building contractors, farms and industrial warehouse. None of these animals are neutered let alone well fed or cared for and when no longer needed they are left to their own devices.
DBKK should be cracking down on the source of the issue, educating and enforcing laws that were put in place to protect animals. The dogs, though no fault of their own, are painted as the nuisance and the problem.
Sadly DBKK is opting to murder animals rather than invest in long term sustainable solution and education programmes like TNR (Trap, Neuter, Release). It is clearly evident that DBKK is solely interested in ‘cleaning the streets’ of the dogs ... yet no mention of the hundreds of stray cats that are dwelling in the community ... will they be next?
In my experience the only threat and harassment I have witnessed is by ignorant humans towards the dogs.
“DBKK also wants to prevent the spread of Rabies.” This statement serves no purpose as there is no rabies in Sabah.
Rabies may have been mentioned in order to raise fear and panic and further vilify stray dogs. It is also used to support and justify DBKKs PTS of dogs. If DBKK wants to prevent Rabies in Sabah they should make Rabies vaccines mandatory, after all prevention is better than cure