Keep some dog owners on a leash

CITY Hall Kuala Lumpur (DBKL) should impose a 90- to 120-day ban on dog-walking on public pavements.

Due to the problem of dog poo, canines have been banned from many beaches in Britain. It’s simple – no dog, no poo problem.

On my regular morning walk around Bukit Damansara, I have to dodge piles of poo left behind by dogs, who seem to be clever enough not to step on them. Perhaps the dogs know that their poo contains parasites like the larvae of roundworms, which are particularly dangerous to children.

I had to interrupt my most recent walk twice to tell two persons to clean up after their dogs. One was a security guard out walking two Alsatian dogs. He claimed not to have a plastic bag for this purpose and was willing to disclose his address. The other person seemed to be an owner and resident of the area who also didn’t have a plastic bag.

Why do some dog owners care so little for their neighbourhood? They obviously never have to avoid the poo on the public pavements as they send the dogs out with walkers, security guards, maids and helpers. The dog’s business can be done outside their garden and the cleaning is left to the street cleaners.

Since little can be done to educate them, it’s probably time to enforce a 90- to 120-day ban on dog-walking for these owners. When their dogs are forced to poo in their garden, the owners would quickly teach the help how to clean up the mess. When this habit is “learned”, they can return to the clean pavements. This should clearly be a win-win-win solution for the owners, walkers and cleaners.

ANWAR ALI JUMABHOY Kuala Lumpur