Council denies beating stray dogs to death

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Pictures taken by an animal lover showing Ranau District Council employees carrying bats allegedly intended to bludgeon the stray dogs there to death.

KOTA KINABALU: The Local Government and Housing Ministry will look into the stray dog management situation in Ranau.

Photos taken by an animal lover that showed Ranau District Council employees walking around the district town with baseball bats tucked behind them, allegedly intended to beat the district’s stray dogs to death, went viral online last week.

However, Ranau District Council officer Faimin Kamin denied the claim and said the baseball bats were carried to intimidate and for protection against dogs that would attack them.

“We do not want to do something that is quite cruel to the animals. We must use means that are allowed,” said Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Haji Hajiji Haji Noor.

“So I think for this one, I will check with the Ranau District Council,” he added when officiating at the Malaysia Cooperative Societies Commission (SKM) Food Truck Business Seminar at the state National Arts and Culture Department building here yesterday.

The minister also reminded dog owners to acquire licences for their pets from the local authorities.

He also agreed that awareness on the care of pets should be raised among the people in general.

Shortly after the said photos went viral online, Sabah Animal Movement chairman Sam Lau also voiced out his concern on the management of the stray dogs in Ranau.

He said resorting to such cruel measures was unnecessary as proper guidelines to manage such a situation was clearly indicated in the Instrument and By-laws of the Ranau District Council.

The move initiated by the Ranau District Council was originally spurred by local businessman Neus Lasimin’s complaint, which was made after he was bitten by a stray dog near his car last month.

Neus, 50s, went to a private clinic for treatment and several stitches set him back RM224.