By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, July 21: Irresponsible dog owners in Kuching will face a RM2,000 fine beginning this year as the Kuching South City Council (MBKS) moves to strictly enforce laws under the ongoing rabies prevention campaign.
MBKS Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng said enforcement will be carried out by the Department of Veterinary Services Sarawak (DVSS), and compounds will no longer be waived for owners who fail to vaccinate their dogs or allow them to roam freely.
“I’m not going to waive it anymore. Last time, I wrote to the higher authority to ask for leniency and we only penalised people RM50 out of the RM2,000 compound. But people still don’t want to listen,” he said when met by reporters at Hui Sing Park today.
The mayor stressed that while he understands economic times are difficult, risking lives by ignoring rabies regulations is unacceptable.
“You want to keep pets, and yet you let them roam freely in the city and bite innocent people. What right do you have to endanger someone’s health? It’s not fair,” he said.
Wee said pet owners found keeping unvaccinated dogs or allowing them to roam public spaces will face fines up to RM2,000 or even imprisonment under the law.
“We’ve increased our free vaccination campaigns from twice to five times a year. Licences are free, vaccinations are free—we’ve done our part. Now it’s time for pet owners to do theirs,” he added.
He noted that despite these efforts, non-compliance continues. As such, DVSS will begin enforcement operations within the year, although no specific dates or areas will be announced in advance to avoid tip-offs. – DayakDaily
