Dog Lovers Slam Subang Jaya Municipality

Friday May 18, 2012

Dog lovers up in arms on proposal to ban six breeds

By EDWARD R. HENRY
edward@thestar.com.my

MANY dog owners have critisised the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) for its knee-jerk reaction in lumping six breeds under the restricted category.

On Wednesday, the council said it planned to stop issuing licences for restricted dog breeds after a bull-terrier mauled a 74-year-old jogger to death recently.

Six imported breeds that face the ban are Bull Mastiff, Bull Terrier, Doberman, German Shepherd/Alsation, Perro de Presa Canario (also know as Canary Dog) and Rottweiler.

All the six are listed under the Selangor Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) restricted list.
Petaling Jaya resident and retired German police officer Jurgen Knobel, 60, who breeds and trains German Shepherds was irritated with the short-sightedness of the council that planned to ban the six breeds without consulting dog lovers and canine associations.

“For decades I have been breeding top-class German Shepherds and this canines are beautiful, intelligent and of good temperament. MPSJ’s proposed ban just shows that each time there is a case of dog mauling, the council would just lump certain breeds and tag them as aggressive and dangerous,” he said.

Knobel comes from a family that is passionate about dogs. His grandfather and father were both dog trainers.

“It is a ridiculous decision to ban certain breeds. People at the council are ignorant. No effort has been made to consult associations, trainers or even breeders who can give a better understanding on the canines,” he said.

He added that German Shepherds were used worldwide for police work and the Customs used it to track narcotics.

“The armies use these dogs to sniff out explosives.

“Many families also keep German Shepherds as guard dogs while the blind used them as guide dogs,” he said.

Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association National Organisation (Petpositive) president Anthony S.B. Thanasayan said the council should understand what caused the incident and come up with a solution.

“It must come up with forums for dog owners and invite the residents associations for the talks,” he said.

Thanasayan said it was a biased view to ban other dog breeds and label them as aggressive and unmanageable because a stray dog could also attack a person.

“Planning to ban six other breeds is like going on a witch hunt. The council should hold classes for people on how to avoid dog attacks. In the United States, the Bull Terrier is used to help the disabled,” he said.

Thanasayan also called on the Veterinary Department to hold a meeting with Petpostive, German Shepherd breeder Knobel and other associations to review the list of banned breeds before making any decision.

Paws Animal Welfare Society rescuer Molly Brown said all dogs needed love and attention as well as to interact with other people.

“MPSJ must make an effort to understand dog breeds,” she said.

Brown said banning certain breeds would not keep people safe and infringe on dog owners’ rights.
“People must give love and care to their animals. Keeping it in a cage or in chains will cause it to be aggressive. It must be treated as part of the family. Even a small pooch like a Shit-Zu could turn ferocious if it does not socialise from young,” she said.

Bukit Aman K-9 Academy spokesman said the police force used German Shepherds and Labradors and these dogs were loyal, intelligent and could be easily trained to carry out a task.

“Our dog handlers find it easier to work and train German Shepherds for narcotics purposes. We have found that German Shepherds and Labradors have a sense of care for its owners. If the dogs find its owners not around for two days it would start to look around the compound. It has a good temperament,” he said.

Selangor exco Ronnie Liu advised the council to put the decision on hold and consult all non-governmental organisations involved with canines.

“MPSJ must be open to suggestions, come out with constructive educational measures for the long run. It must avoid discrimination,” he said.

Thursday May 17, 2012

MPSJ may ban restricted dog breeds

By TAN KARR WEI
karrwei@thestar.com.my

THE Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) may stop issuing dog licences for restricted dog breeds following the recent fatal attack by a bull terrier in Subang Jaya which resulted in the death of a 74-year-old man.
MPSJ president Datuk Asmawi Kasbi said: “Under our current regulations, owners of dogs under the restricted breed list must provide a certification from a licensed veterinarian before we issue the licence.
“The dogs must also be sent for yearly checks and immunisation in order to get a licence renewal,” he told a press conference at the MPSJ headquarters yesterday.

Strict handling: Mark Anthony training a Rottweiler at the Stephen K-9 Academy in Kuala Lumpur. The Rottweiler is one of the dog breeds on the restricted list. — Bernamapic

The breeds currently listed under the Department of Veterinary Services’ (DVS) restricted list for imported dogs are Bull Mastiff, Bull Terrier, Doberman, German Shepard/Alsatian, Perro de Presa Canario (also known as Canary Dog) and Rottweiler.

“We will be having further discussions with the DVS, the public and other stakeholders before we decide on the matter,” he said.

Asmawi said the case was still being investigated by the police and the Selangor DVS and investigations were expected to be completed in two weeks.

Contrary to reports that a compound has been issued, Asmawi said they were still conducting their own investigations and under the MPSJ Licensing of Dogs and Kennel Establishments Bylaw 2007, the owner could be fined a maximum of RM2,000, a maximum of one year’s jail or both.

“We advise dog owners to be extra careful when taking their dogs out of their house compound. Under our bylaws, the dogs must be on a leash,” he said.
MPSJ health director Dr Roslan Mohamed Husin said there had been an increase in complaints about dogs since the attack on May 8.

“Complaints about dogs usually constitute about 65% of the total Health Department complaints but it has increased to about 70% this month. Most of the complaints are about stray dogs. We will be increasing our enforcement based on the complaints,” he said.

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