A CASE of miscommunication resulted in some red-faces when enforcement officers from the Veterinary Services Department raided a house in Setapak yesterday.

What was supposed to have been a "joint-raid" by the department and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), left the SPCA officials fuming when they were left out of the exercise.

The two agencies were supposed to raid a house in Jalan Mata Air, Setapak where the owner of a German Shepherd is alleged to have ill-treated the dog.

Yesterday, The Malay Mail highlighted the plight of the smelly, dirty and undernourished canine which was chained in the backyard of the house. Neighbours had claimed that the owner does not care for the dog, often leaving it without food.

However, while the SPCA representatives were waiting at their Ampang Jaya office for the enforcement officers to turn up yesterday morning for the "joint-raid", the latter had already gone to the house and issued a warning notice to the occupant.

This "miscommunication" also left reporters, who had been waiting near the house since 8am, in the dark as they were instructed by the SPCA officials to be at the site by 8.30am.

The reporters were told that they would be met by the SPCA and enforcement officers before the raid. However, until 8.50am, there was no sign of either party.

The reporters only realised that the enforcement officers had inspected the house when they spotted the deparment's four wheel drive leaving the housing estate about 8.50am.

SPCA animal inspector Sabrina Yeap expressed disappointment with the enforcement officers for attending to the case without informing them.

"The head of its enforcement division, Hamzah Umar, had agreed to meet us at the SPCA office in Ampang Jaya at 8.30am before inspecting the location," said Yeap.

She said she was notified of the change in plans.

"We were waiting in our office for them until a reporter from a Chinese daily called us at 8.50am to tell us that the enforcement officers had come and gone," she said.

The Malay Mail learnt that the enforcement officers gave the occupant of the house a week's notice to improve the dog' s living conditions, failing which the animal would be removed and the owner charged in court.

Yeap also claimed that the enforcement officers did not inspect a case of a Rottweiler with a broken hind leg in Petaling Jaya. Instead they went off to Kuala Selangor.

"I am surprised that the department did not consider the seriousness of the case reported two months ago regarding a Rottweiler and a Retriever being starved for many weeks until the rib bones of both dogs can be clearly seen. The Rottweiler is also suffering from a broken hind paw which had become infested with maggots." "We have conveyed our disappointment to the department and we hope to get a reply from them soon," she added.

Hamzah, however, denied having fixed an appointment with the SPCA.

"There is no need for us to go with them. Once we receive a complaint, we take action immediately and there is no need to inform the SPCA about it," he told The Malay Mail.

On the two cases in Petaling Jaya, Hamzah said that his officers visited the locations at 10am yesterday.

"I am waiting for a report from them on the two cases." He added that if the owner of the German Shepherd in Setapak does not provide adequate shelter and proper food for the dog, the department will remove the dog and hand it over to the SPCA.

The owner will also be charged under Part 4 of the Animals Ordinance 1953, which states that any person in charge of any animal in confinement and neglects to supply such animal with sufficient food or water shall be guilty of an offence or cruelty and shall be liable to a fine of RM200, or to imprisonment for a term of six months, or both.