Woman ‘feeds’ her dog with 32 needles
A 53-year-old dog owner was jailed for a day and fined RM7,000, in default, seven days’ jail for feeding her dog with 32 sewing needles a er it bit her two children.
KOTA KINABALU: A 53-year-old dog owner was jailed for a day and fined RM7,000, in default, seven days' jail for feeding 32 sewing needles to her dog which had bit her two children.
Sessions Court Judge Ainul Shahrin Mohamed imposed the sentence on Latifah @ Hilda Dustin after the latter pleaded guilty to the charge, yesterday.
She had permitted an unnecessary pain or suffering to her domestic black coloured male dog at a house at Taman Pantai Lok Kawi Sabindo, Papar between 2pm to 8.30pm on January 19, 2017.
The offence was framed under Section 18(1)(e) of the Animal Welfare Enactment 2015, which carries a maximum fine of RM100,000 or a jail term of up to three years or both, upon conviction.
Latifah is the second person who has been charged under the Enactment.
In mitigation, Latifah, who was not represented, prayed for leniency on the grounds that she wanted to protect her children.
She said she was a single mother and was supporting her three children, and working as a vegetable hawker having a low income.
Thus, she prayed to be given a low fine without a jail sentence as there would be no one to take care of her children at home.
Meanwhile, prosecuting officer from the Veterinary Service Department, Zul Bahar Abdul Rashid requested for a deterrent sentence to be imposed against the accused.
According to him, the dog is currently placed under the care of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).
The court ordered for Latifah's ownership of the dog to be forfeited and the dog will be under the care of SPCA until it is adopted.
Based on the facts of the case, the SPCA received a complaint from one Melisa Chin Ying Hwa that her dog had been given bread containing sewing needles by her mother, Latifah.
Melisa is the elder daughter of Latifah who is living in Sandakan.
The action was taken in response to the dog that bit her youngest son who suffered injuries on his hands and body, and her 14-yearold daughter.
A veterinary doctor who treated the dog at the Sabah Animal Medical Center in Luyang, took an X-ray of the dog which showed 32 sewing needles of various sizes in the stomach of the dog. The needles were successfully taken out from the dog and the dog was treated until it recovered.