IPOH: The shooting of several stray dogs by the Kampar District Council has caused an uproar among animal lovers.

       The incident, which is said to have occurred near Taman Kampar Barat on Tuesday at about 4am, saw four dogs shot dead and 24 others captured.

       There were also blood trails left on the five-foot way of some shophouses there.

       Persatuan Pencinta Haiwan Jalanan Kampar president Yvonne Hoh said that one of the dogs that had been killed was docile and friendly.

       “We followed the blood trail to a field and recognised it as one of the strays that we had neutered.

       “Neutered and spayed dogs are not aggressive,” she said.

       “I understand there were complaints of dogs chasing motorcycles and causing motorcyclists to fall down. The council is being pressured to resolve the issue.”

       She said local councils were not allowed to shoot dogs and wanted to know when this policy had been changed.

       She said the incident also shocked the local community there.

       “It was quite scary for people to hear gunshots at 4am.”

       Kampar MCA Youth deputy chief Darren Chin, who had contacted the district council for an explanation, was told that the enforcement officers shot the dogs in self-defence.

       “The council said that the officers opened fire when faced with a large pack.

       “I am also gathering information from witnesses and will try to arrange a dialogue between concerned parties and the council,” he said.

       “The people want to know whether standard operating procedure was followed during the incident,” he added.

       Chin also said that the council should have approached animal welfare groups first before taking action.

       “If the NGO cannot resolve the matter, then the council should step in.

       Keranji assemblyman Chong Zhemin said local councils should be reminded that they are not allowed to shoot dogs.

       Chong said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, then Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister in 2015, had said local councils were prohibited from shooting stray animals.

       “Those found to shoot dogs can be fined up to RM100,000, though there were also exceptions, such as if the dogs carried diseases.

       “According to Section 30(1) of the Animal Welfare Act 2015, no person shall kill by way of shooting with firearms any dog, cat or any other animal which may be prescribed by the Minister by notification in the Gazette, unless it is authorised by the veterinary authority during an emergency or for the purposes of disease control,” he said.

       “They can’t (shoot) unless it was authorised by the veterinarian authority under specific laws,” he added.

       Kampar District Council president Abdul Halim Saad said enforcement officers opened fire in self-defence as they were facing a group of 16 aggressive dogs.

       “As for long-term planning, we will review the root cause for the increase in the stray animal population, especially dogs.

       “We will also study whether there is a need to tighten the terms to keep pets,” he said.