Meeting on dog ruling in January
|
|
Ruslin has agreed to call the
meeting. |
City Hall
director-general Datuk Ruslin Hassan has agreed to call the meeting,
according to City Hall advisory board member Datuk Lee Lam Thye.
He said he had met
Ruslin at the latter’s office on Wednesday to discuss the matter.
The Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), the Malaysian Kennel
Association, the Malaysian National Animal Welfare Foundation (MNAWF)
and other related organisations will be invited to attend the
meeting, said Lee.
“He (Ruslin) is quite open about the matter is willing to have a dialogue with the relevant parties on the issue,’’ he said.
“The important thing
is for everyone to work together to resolve this matter amicably. I
feel it is a good move for City Hall to agree to meet with the
respective organisations and consider their recommendations and
suggestions, as this is in line with the workings of a
people-friendly city administration,’’ he added.
Lee said there was more
to gain by sitting down and listening to the parties concerned.
Under the new
regulations, residents in homes with compounds measuring 300 sq m or
less can have only one dog, while those in larger homes are entitled
to two.
The annual dog licence
fee has also been increased from RM10 to RM50. Those having more
than two dogs have been given up to March to give away or put their
extra pets to sleep.
Under the regulations,
even puppies have to be licensed.
Lee, who said he also owned dogs, added: “I hope the organisations will give this meeting a chance, instead of making a public protest on the matter.’’
MNAWF deputy chairman Dr S. Sivagurunathan welcomed Ruslin’s decision to hold the meeting, saying that problems associated with dogs “is nothing new’’.
“The dialogue can be
very open. I’m sure there can be a win-win situation,’’ he
added.
Dr Sivagurunathan agreed
that regulations were necessary but it should be “justifiable”
to dog owners.
Citing the new RM50
licence fee, he suggested that those who spayed their dogs be
subjected to lower fees.
“There must be a
criteria for licence fee payments, which will encourage people to
bring in their dogs for spaying,” he added.
Dr Sivagurunathan said
regulations should be drawn using a “humane approach” by local
authorities in line with the Government’s aims of nurturing a
caring society.
He said pet ownership
had grown into a “culture”, and to part with their dogs would
cause “psychological effects” on dog owners.
“When people live with
animals, they become more compassionate and this contributes to the
caring society vision,” he said.
“There are enough
documented psychological and medical findings to prove that dogs can
help reduce stress, cardiovascular problems and keep a family
together as a unit,’’ he added.
Dr Sivagurunathan said
other matters should also be looked into, especially education on
proper handling by dog owners.
He described City
Hall’s method of rounding up stray dogs as “inhumane”, and
said if the city authority lamented on the costs it had to bear to
catch the strays, “they are welcome to seek help from
non-profitable or professional animal care organisations.”