Controversy has erupted over a dog hunt planned by the Shah Alam City Hall (MBSA) on April 22, 23, and 24 in Klang, with dog lovers and the public expressing strong opposition to the event.
The operation involves volunteers from residents’ associations teaming up with MBSA to capture dogs using loops, traps, and tranquiliser darts. A total of 500 dogs are expected to be caught during the three-day hunt, which will take place from 8.00pm to 11.00pm each day. According to an MBSA circular, all captured dogs will be euthanised and cannot be released.
Each dog caught by the volunteer dog hunters will be rewarded with a payment of RM30. The targeted areas for the hunt include Setia Utama 1, Alam Nusantara, Setia Eco Park, Suria Hill, Setia Prima, Setia Taipan, and the Setia Prima and Setia Indian commercial centres.
Dr. Chan Kah Yein, the founder of AnimalCare Society, has called on MBSA to reconsider the plan, urging them to allow owners time to reclaim their pets and to consider adopting a trap-neuter-release-manage (TNRM) approach for street dogs.
Mandy Chee, an animal lover and rescuer, criticized MBSA for incentivizing the public to capture dogs, stating that rewarding such actions encourages intolerance towards stray animals. She emphasized that catching and killing stray dogs is not a viable solution.
Kavitah Ganasan from Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better (MDDB) highlighted the failure of the catch-and-kill method in controlling the overpopulation of dogs, suggesting that TNRM should be implemented instead. She criticized the wasteful spending of taxpayer money on ineffective measures and called for the authorities to lift the ban on on-site neutering.
Kavitah also expressed concerns about the involvement of residents’ association members in the hunt, warning that it could lead to the mistreatment of street animals.
In response to public outcry, MBSA issued a statement clarifying that the captured dogs would be handed over to Paws Animal Welfare Society. However, Paws manager Lim Choon Sun urged MBSA to consider trap-neuter-release (TNR) programs in the targeted areas.
Selangor exco in charge of local councils, Datuk Ng Suee Lim, reassured the public that all local councils in the state would handle street animal issues with caution and consideration for the animals’ welfare. While acknowledging the need to address public complaints about street animals, Ng emphasized the importance of a humane and progressive approach in dealing with the issue.
