(MY) woof woof

[Guest guest]

Woof Woof! MBSA barking up wrong tree _ Malysiakini.com

Fauwaz Abdul Aziz

Dec 21, 05 12:42pm

 

If a Mercedes Benz is involved in a fatal accident, will they ban the

make from the roads?

 

This is the logic which the Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) is applying

when it comes to dog licences, said Anthony Thanasayan head of the

Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly

Association (Petpositive).

 

Enraged pet owners claim that the council has completely missed the

point. It's not about regulating the animals but about educating their

owners.

 

" Blaming the rottweiler is like blaming the car for an accident, " said

the wheelchair-bound Thanasayan when met at the sidelines of a

dialogue between dog owners and Shah Alam deputy mayor Za'ba Che' Rus

yesterday

 

" It's not the dogs at fault. It's the devils who let them out, " he added.

 

Thanasayan (right) said if the authorities could conduct public

awareness campaigns on dengue, why can't they do the same to educate

dog owners and dispel false perceptions some people have about the

animals.

 

The dialogue, at the MBSA building, was held to collect feedback on

several conditions for dog-licenses that will be introduced next year.

 

About 50 pet-owners and representatives of non-governmental

organisations and governmental departments participated in the two

hour-long discussion.

 

Controversial requirements

 

Among the new controversial requirements in the pipeline is for owners

to obtain permission from their immediate neighbours.

 

Another regulation, which has got dog lovers howling in protest, is

the inclusion of the rottweiler (photo) as one of the eight

'prohibited' breeds.

 

The new regulations come following an incident in Puchong in March

where nine-year-old Mohd Hazman Khan Sheikh Zaini received 189

stitches after being mauled by a rottweiler.

 

During the dialogue, Zaba repeatedly told participants that the

council did not want such incidences to occur in Shah Alam.

 

However, Thanasayan said both the new and old regulations reflected

the council's faulty understanding of dogs and reasons for those

'isolated' incidents in which they attack humans.

 

Proper training, care and attention can effectively rule out violent

attacks which usually result from the negligence and maltreatment of

dogs by their owners, he explained.

 

He also said the council did not properly consider the service that

dogs, including Rottweilers, provide to the disabled, the elderly and

the social and emotional development of children.

 

" Throughout the dialogue, the plight of the disabled was only

incidentally discussed because we were there. The factor of children

was not even mentioned, " he noted.

 

" My Rottweiller, whom I acquired 10 years ago, gave me a new lease of

life. It has given me the ability to live outside of my home, " he

added.

 

Futile exercise

 

Dean of Universiti Putra Malaysia's veterinary hospital Dr Ragavan

Koran said his department had always welcomed the idea of cooperating

with MBSA to hold training courses for dog-owners.

 

" We're prepared at any time to embark on such cooperation, " he said,

but expressed little optimism about it actually happening based on

what transpired at the dialogue.

 

Malaysian Association for Responsible Pet Ownership (Marpo) pro-tem

president Dr Jon S Satyamoorthy said the council's inability to move

beyond stereotypes of dogs and the danger they posed was also a

problem.

 

Despite Za'ba suggesting otherwise, he doubted that the council's

stand and regulations represented the views of the majority of Muslims

in Shah Alam.

 

The dialogue itself seemed to be a futile exercise as there was no a

genuine exchange of ideas and information, he added.

 

Foster harmony

 

At a press conference after the dialogue session, Za'ba said there was

nothing new apart from the two new points in the regulations.

 

Acquiring neighbours consent, he added, would lead to a more

harmonious community " as neighbours would be aware of the presence of

a dog and the type of dog " .

 

He also said that the council " may consider " loosening the regulations

for the disabled and elderly.

 

Among the other conditions are that only those who live in

" single-storey houses, corner terrace-houses, factories and executive

clubs " can own dogs, the number of which is restricted to two.

 

Dog-owners must also have kennels, signboards, and must always ensure

that the surroundings of the kennels are kept clean. When taken out,

dogs must be muzzled.

 

As for the muzzles, several participants pointed out that this was

another glaring example of MBSA's ignorance on the matter.

 

They explained that some dogs when muzzled would not be able to pant

and this would lead to overheating and possible death.

 

Za'ba also said that a committee would be set up to scrutinise the

dog-licensing regulations in a more exhaustive manner.

 

The committee will comprise Mapro executive committee members, MBSA

councillors and heads of the veterinary department.

 

Za'ba said the Selangor state government and Ministry of Housing and

Local Government would formulate guidelines on dog-ownership that

would serve as policy directives for local councils throughout the

country.