Guidelines on how to carry out enforcement on dogs soon ztv By R.S.N. MURALI muraligthestar.com.my A handbook is being drafted by the Housing and Local Government Ministry to guide local authorities on ways to carry out enforcement on dogs in public places. The guidelines would ensure MALACCA: compassionate treatment by the enforcement unit of the local authorities, Minister Datuk Seri Chor Chee Heung said. He said the authorities wanted to ensure fairness to the dog owners and their pets. "We also want to be reasonable to other people as the presence of dogs in public areas such as playgrounds and parks could sometimes cause fear or inconvenience," he said. Chor said the handbook would provide a step-by-step guide for local authorities on the action to be taken against dog owners who contravened the Licensing of Dogs and Kennel Establishments By- laws 2007. "We understand that dog owners need to walk their pets to keep them healthy. Enforcement officers should understand this point. However, dog owners must also realise that they should leash their pets before taking them out to public areas." 141.1AY 2012 Chor also said the ministry was reviewing the by-law in which pet owners would be required to muzzle their canines if they wanted to take them out to public areas. "The review is still being done," he said, adding that this came about following reports of canine attacks on people. Crime haPPer Al when you least expect it. Get prevention tips from Tikt4A5 in The StarMil Court to decide fate of dog which killed elderly jogger By LEE YEN MUN authority to decide whether the yenmunOthestar.com.my dog would be released or put to sleep. He said this was because the case was under the purview of the police, who conducted its investigations under Section 304(a) of the Penal Code for causing death by negligence. "We have received many requests from people offering to train this dog decide on the fate of Beacon, the miniature bull terrier cross which mauled an elderly jogger to death in Subang Jaya earlier this month. Veterinary Services Department director-general Datuk Dr Abdul Aziz Jamaiuddin said it had no PUTRAJAYA: The court will as they sympathised with it, "We are waiting for a court decision on what to do with the dog," Dr Abdul Aziz said after signing a memorandum of understanding with 25 companies participating in a cattle farming at oil palm estates integration project yesterday. In the incident on May 8, the dog bit Yip Sun Wah, 74, on the neck and almost tore off his left ear as he jogged about 1km from his house. The dog had escaped from its owner's house and attacked Yip for almost four minutes before returning home, Miniature bull terriers, of which Beacon is a cross of this, are restricted breeds which Dr Abdul Aziz said were not suitable as household pets and usually meant for the use of STAR Tarikh: 2 3 MAY 2012 , military and enforcement agencies. Keeping the dog requires a special licence, which Beacon's owner possesses with the approval of the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ). The owner was subsequently fined RM1,000 by MPSJ for negligence in looking after the animal under a by-law pertaining to the licensing of dogs. No country for good dogs M at /KA; WRITER'S BLOC with... HELENA HON WHEN licensing a driver, does the size of the car have any bearing on the driver's competency? I ask this because I am puzzled by our local councils' reasoning with regard to dog licensing. Going by their rules and regulations, eligibility seems to be based purely on the size of one's house. The Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) — the same council that licensed the bull terrier that killed Yip Sun Wah, 74, two weeks ago — stipulates that the size of one's house determines the number of dogs one can own. Houses measuring less than 1,000 sq may have two dogs and those measuring more than 1,000 sq m may have four dogs (http://ocps.mpsj. gov.my ). Judging from the pictures carried in the Chinese dailies, the size of the bull terrier's home qualifies the family for two to four dogs. Yet, the dog owner has demonstrated she was unable to take proper God care of one. Was there an inherent flaw in the rationale behind these guidelines? The rules on dog licensing go on to ban seven rare breeds. The American pit bull was added because Maurice Sullivan was mauled to death by two pit bull-type dogs in Penang in January last year. According to an update on the list as reported in The Star, last Thursday, the English bull terrier — like the one that killed Yip — has been added to a new list of six breeds (rottweiler, doberman pinscher, bull mastiff, pressa canario and the German shepherd). Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) president Datuk Asmawi Kasbi was quoted in the report as saying, "Under our current regulations, owners of dogs under the restricted breed list must provide a vaccination certificate from a licensed vet before we issue a licence." Asmawi is missing the point. What has immunising a dog got to do with preventing it from attacking? The only consolation might be that the victim would be mauled by a healthy dog. But he may still die. Next, the rules go on to prohibit dogs from public places such as shopping complexes, supermarkets, eating places, places of worship, offices, public transport and playgrounds. Looking at the history of dog attacks in Malaysia, going as far back as 1994 when a rottweiler rushed out of the gate and mauled Neoh Kim Lean, 70, to death in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, no dog, leashed and under the supervision of its owner has ever killed anyone in a public place, much less an office, a supermarket or even a park. Why then, are we prohibiting dogs from exercising outdoors? It is a wholesome family activity and dogs need to burn off excess energy. They also need familiarisation with the world they live in to acquire confidence and learn appropriate behaviour for assimilation into human society. Nothing in the list of bylaws appraises the capability of the owner to raise his dog. He is not questioned about his ability to handle the animal, or asked if he understands the liability he is taking on. There is no query about his knowledge of the breed's characteristics and temperament and how to act when problems arise. Instead, he is threatened with the heavy hand of the law if he fails to comply. These adversarial methods have so far not worked and dog attacks have only increased. This year alone has seen three. Do we wait for the next dog attack before the authorities realise they need to change irrelevant laws? Before deciding if an applicant deserves a licence, test his aptitude on dog management. Then base eligibility and the number of dogs one can own — not on the size of the house or vaccination cards — but on meritocracy. Owners who prove they have put in work socialising, training, and grooming their dogs should be given precedence. A Canine Good Citizen (CGC) certificate can be proof of this. The 10-week CGC course that certifies the dog is not a menace to society, will show that the owner has taken steps to learn how to handle his dog. It will also show that the dog has gone through the rigours of a temperament test as those that vl AL Canine Good Citizen ,...01,644 ttic 00, eM lASA PROOF OF TRAINING: The CGC certificate awarded by The Malaysian Kennel Association which confers world-wide recognition. Other schools also offer the CGC exhibit aggression or are overtly nervous or unruly would not pass the CGC. High-drive guard dog types such as German shepherds, and doberman pinschers should additionally take up Agility or Schutzhund IPO (protection dog training) for harder exercise regimes. Proof of participation in these sports could go towards qualifying for a licence. Now MPSJ has been making an effort to help curb the stray population. To encourage neutering and spaying, they offer a 50 per cent rebate on licence fees if the owner can show a vet's letter that the animal has been de-sexed. For owners who can show the CGC and higher or any other proof of obedience training and sports, perhaps their "rebate" can be permission to legally own as many dogs as they have successfully trained and integrated. After all, disciplined, balanced dogs that show exemplary behaviour never charge out of gates to kill people, even when the gate is wide open. HELENA HON is a sub-editor with The Malay Mail. Her dogs have won multiple awards in almost all disciplines of canine sports. She can be reached at hplenahon@mmaiL cant my r I U: ArILUUIN SAI SERI KEMBANGAN BAHAYA... KEADAAN jalan tidak berturap ini mengundang ketidakselesaan kepada pengguna kenderaan seperti kereta dan motosikal yang keluar masuk khasnya penghuni Taman Lestari Perdana 8, di sini. Harap Majils Perbandaran Subang Jaya (MPSJ) dapat mengambil tindakan menurap kembali jalan ini dan beberapa lagi jalan di sini. SIN Tarikh: IRPOIN412 LDP tutup pusingan U di KM23 KUALA LUMPUR 22 Mei Pusingan U di Kilometer 23 arah Selatan, Lebuhraya Damansara Puchong (LDP) akan ditutup sementara bermula pukul 12 tengah malam hingga 6 pagi pada Khamis ini. Kumpulan SP Setia Bhd. dalam kenyataan akhbamya memberitahu, penutupan laluan itu bagi memudahkan kerja-kerja menurap semula jalan di pusingan U tersebut. "Ketika penutupan sementara itu, pengguna yang mahu melakukan pusingan U dinasihatkan meneruskan perjalanan sehingga ke pusing sebelum Plaza Tol Puchong Barat," ka kenyataan itu. • 1 USAN TariLli: Mitt Web e*11