Lawyer Rajesh Nagarajan said the court dismissed the application with costs, and that the matter would be heard on its merits, with Aug 13 set for the court’s decision on the lawsuit.

“This is a huge win for animal rights in Malaysia generally and a positive first step towards obtaining justice for Kopi, who was murdered in cold blood,” he told FMT.

Dr Kartini Farah Abdul Rahim, S Mukunnan, Hong Hai San, and S Shashi Kumar are suing the state government and district council over the allegedly unlawful killing of Kopi, a stray dog, in October.

They contend that the killing of Kopi by a council enforcement officer violated Sections 29(e) and 30(1) of the Animal Welfare Act 2015 (AWA).

They want a declaration that the shooting of animals is prohibited by law unless it falls within the exceptions listed in Section 30(2) of the AWA, including that the killing is authorised by a veterinary authority, is necessary to prevent an imminent danger to human life, or is carried out to control the spread of disease.

The plaintiffs are also seeking a declaration that Sections 9(1) and (2) of the Dog Licensing By-Laws (Besut District Council) 1990 infringe Sections 29(e) and 30(1) of the AWA.

In March last year, a video of Kopi playing with a stray cat went viral on social media.

On Oct 6, it was announced on Instagram account “My Forever Doggo” that Kopi had been shot dead by the authorities in Besut during a stray culling operation earlier that day.