SSPCA calls for law on proper administration of dog breeding farms
KUCHING: Sarawak Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) is calling for proper legislation to regulate dog-breeding activities.
SSPCA president Datin Dona Drury-Wee, who made this call, said breeding farms should be properly registered and monitored to keep bad breeders at bay.
“The authorities need to get proper legislation (set up) regarding registration of dog breeding farms. This will ensure that we would not have cases of people using animals purely for profit,” she said when contacted yesterday.
Drury-Wee’s remarks came in response to a recent case involving dog owner Queennie Cheng, who said the authorities had kept her in the dark about the status of her dog, which was captured by Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) on Wednesday.
As a pet owner herself, DruryWee said she sympathised with Cheng.
“We care so much for our pets that it is heartbreaking not knowing where they are,” she said, believing that the dog, which was a Pitbull, had been put to sleep, given that such breed is banned under the Malaysian Schedule of Dog Breeds.
“Unfortunately, the authorities do have the right to put the dog to sleep, especially that it had killed another dog and was a danger to the surrounding community at that time.It was fortunate that there were no young children running around at that time, as they (children) are sometimes mistaken as prey by animals,” she pointed out.
Section 37(4) of the Veterinary Public Health Ordinance, 1999 reads: ‘Any dog found within a rabies-infected area which is not under effective control in accordance with Sub-Section (3) may be destroyed by any person authorised in writing in that behalf by the State Veterinary Authority and any person so authorised may enter any land, building or premises for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this subsection’.
Drury-Wee advised dog breeders to be aware of the list of banned and restricted dog breeds in Malaysia.
According to her, the country needs better monitoring of these breeds, alongside higher level of awareness and enforcement.
“In some countries, it is compulsory to have these dogs neutered at six months of age. They (Pitbulls) are good, hardworking dogs but they can be fiercely loyal, which may cause some unfortunate incidents,” she reminded.
According to the ‘Procedure to Import Dogs and Cats Into Malaysia’, restricted breed of dogs are Bull Mastiff, Bull Terrier, Doberman, German Shepard/ Alsatian including Belgian Shepard and East European Shepard, Perro de Presa Canario (also known as Canary Dog) and Rottweiler.
The same procedure also lists Akita, American Bulldog, Dogo Argentino, Fila Braziliero, Japanese Tosa, Neapolitan Mastiff and Pitbull Terrier/Pitbull (also known as American Pitbull, American Pitbull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier and Staffordshire Bull Terrier), as banned dog breeds.
Drury-Wee said MPP and the state Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) ‘are very understaffed’, recommending that the agencies should perhaps look into ‘getting one PR (public relations) person each, who can properly handle such issues with the public’.
“With a PR personnel in place, I believe that members of the public would not be subjected to being given different answers.With the current work throughout the state, the DVS is overstretched and undermanned,” she noted.
Drury-Wee also reminded pet owners to keep the animals, even those with licensed tags, inside their house compounds, adding that this is stipulated under the Council By-Laws.
“Keep your pets within your compounds to keep them safe. Be responsible and neuter your pets – this will stop them wanting to fight during mating season.
“This will also stop the abandonment and disposal of unwanted puppies and kittens, which would eventually end up as strays on the street,” she added.
Drury-Wee said the SSPCA shelter has been housing quite a few pure-bred animals over the years, which have obviously been abandoned after passing their prime and no longer able to produce puppies and kittens.