SIBU: The Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) is considering imposing heavier penalties on dog owners who allow their pets to roam freely unleashed and cause a nuisance to the public, reports Bernama.
SMC chairman Datuk Tiong Thai King was quoted as saying today the current fines imposed on dog owners to claim their impounded dogs were too small.
Impounded dogs are released upon payment of a RM25 fine for the first offence and RM50 for the second time. An additional RM5 is incurred if the dog is unlicensed.
“The council is now looking into other mechanisms or stricter action to ensure that dog owners become responsible masters and take good care of their pets,” he said when chairing the SMC full council meeting today.
Following the recent rabies outbreak, dog owners were reminded numerous times to be responsible and keep their dogs within their house compounds to prevent them from being a nuisance or spreading disease. However, many dog owners still took the reminders lightly and let their pets roam unleashed.
Tiong said the SMC impounded 109 dogs so far this month and 20 of them have been claimed by their owners.
