Speaking to FMT, Chong said that he was initially willing to let the matter go but changed his mind after the council issued a statement on Friday admitting that although Barney was wearing a collar, the dog was shot because it had wandered into a public space and its owner was nowhere in sight.
“Barney was a licensed dog. His serial number was on the collar. The council could have just taken him in first, and fined us later.
“They shouldn’t have killed him just like that, otherwise, what’s the whole point of us getting him a license in the first place?
“And was there any proof that he was a danger to anyone?”
In making his argument that the council’s decision to shoot Barney was totally uncalled for, Chong questioned if the police would shoot dead a known criminal if he was spotted wandering in a public area, even if the man didn’t pose an immediate threat to the general public.
He also questioned if similar action would have been taken against stray cats as they too could pose a health threat to the public.
“After I found Barney dead, my friends told me I should sue the council. I figured it was a genuine mistake, so I was ready to let it go.
“But now, I definitely will talk to my friends who have a legal background, and look into the possibility of suing the council, because they can’t be allowed to kill any dog they find wandering around without the owner,” he said.
In a statement to FMT, the district council’s chief, Mohd Zulkifli Hashim, admitted that the pet dog was killed in a joint operation with the Pahang Veterinary Department.
The operation, he said, was carried out on Aug 22 and 23 to prevent the spread of rabies, and to ensure “public safety”.
Mohd Zulkifli said investigations conducted following the dog owner’s complaint, found that the dog was wandering around Pantai Hiburan Rompin’s public space “without the owner’s supervision”.
He also explained that according to the bylaws of the Rompin local council, “any dog, licensed or not, whose owner cannot be found, can be shot on the council’s instruction, or by anyone who the council gives such power to”.
Chong said he and his wife usually tied Barney up at night, but on Aug 22, they fell asleep before they had a chance to.
He also reiterated that they had done everything the law required of them in order to keep Barney, and even made sure the dog wore a collar at all times so no one would mistake him for a stray.
Chong said the newly-enforced Animal Welfare Act 2015, states that no animal may be killed by a gun unless it is authorised by the veterinary authority “in an emergency, or for disease control”.
Rural and Regional Development Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, in 2015, said under this new law, local councils could no longer act inhumanely against animals as part of their animal control programmes.
“Under this new law, shooting of dogs is prohibited. The council that does this would be subject to the law, much like other animal abusers,” the minister was reported to have said then.
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2015/06/17/tough-new-law-against-animal-abuse/