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Home: Dog and Puppies Talk: Dog's Rights and Protection:
Is this happening to you also?







graceyeelim
Novice

Aug 7, 2004, 2:06 AM

Post #1 of 13 (5081 views)
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Is this happening to you also? Can't Post

It seems that some local authorities are bent on giving dogs and dog owners a dog’s life, or else on sending dogs to the afterlife. Some time ago we read about the Majlis Bandaran Shah Alam paying private dog catchers, effectively heartless bounty hunters with RM signs in their eyes and no compassion for animals, the sum of RM 60 for every dog’s tail that they turned in. Quite likely more than a few innocent dogs died to line to pockets of these poor excuses for human beings.



There are many dogs in the country, and most townships have their own rule and regulations regarding licensing of these animals. These may differ widely from one place to another, and some people in positions of authority seem to take delight in devising intricate rules to the detriment of dogs and their owners. We once had the Majlis Bandaran Subang Jaya (MBSJ) requiring dog owners to obtain neighbours’ permissions when applying for dog licenses. This must have caused considerable consternation to dog owners whose neighbours are either unneighbourly (not everybody who live next door to each other are on intimate, palsy-walsy terms, mind you!) or are dog haters. This can cause quite a lot of problems and hardship to dog owners as these regulations and the ease of obtaining dog licenses vary considerably from city to city. In Penang, we can just talk up to a counter, pay RM 10 for each licence, and walk away with just about any number of license tags we want; while in Shah Alam, we have to go to the MBSA to apply for a licence which is not granted to the tenants of middle terrace houses. Presumably, the rationale, if any, for this is that middle terrace houses do not have the space to accommodate dogs, or that dogs in middle terrace houses are likely to disturb more neighbours.



This disparity in dog regulations causes problems for dog owners who relocate from once place to another. For example, a dog who moves with her owner from Subang Jaya to a middle terrace house in Shah Alam will not be granted a licence. Then what is the owner supposed to do? It is not easy to give away a dog, not many would want a second-hand dog anyway, and it is much,much worse to have to hand the poor hapless animal over to PAWS or SPCA or to have her put down – not if one is a genuine dog lover who feels for these innocent, loyal and beautiful creatures.



I am one of those who have been at the receiving end of the disparity of regulations regarding dogs. When my wife moved over from Penang to Kemuning, Shah Alam after our marriage, we brought her dogs over here. Within less than a month we had the people of MBSA on our heels, frequently coming to our street in small groups using one or at times even two vehicles as though some great felony had been committed. We were issued with a fine, and informed that our dogs were not licensed, thus we promptly applied to the MBSA for two licenses. After two and a half months, we are still awaiting a reply. A neighbour faced the same difficulty, and after not getting any news from the authorities, had to go to the MBSA office repeatedly. Surely, when an application has been received the authorities will act upon in rather than wait for the applicant to go to plead for an answer? Have they heeded our Prime Minister’s call to improve the civil service? To make things worse, some conditions are laid down by the MBSA for dogs owners, including vaccination certificates for dogs (quite unnecessary as any responsible dog owner who ensure that their pets are property immunized), having a kennel for the dog within the compound of the house (but my dogs won’t stay in a kennel; they prefer being indoors, upstairs if the opportunity avails, thank you!), and a “Beware of dog” signage outside the house (is that necessary even if you have a little lap dog? Beware then of the little poodle?). With all these hassles in mind, and the fact that we will very likely not get any response from MBSA anyway, is it any surprise that the vast majority of dog owners in Shah Alam do not bother to obtain licences for their dogs? It is not that we want to break the law, but because too many unreasonable conditions and obstacles have been imposed on dog ownership. The way the MBSA goes about it leaves a lot to be desired; whole posses of their personnel heading our way as though a drug bust is being conducted. Imagine how much tax payers’ money goes into these “raids”, while more pressing issues like pollution, the deplorable state of public amenities, incompetence of some civil servants, etc. are glossed over. In the process, otherwise law-abiding, responsible citizens are treated as though they are criminals who harbour illegal dogs; horrid, noise-making, dangerous, unclean animals that they are. We have been issued with warnings of fines, threats of stern action being taken against us, being asked for our identity cards, letters and words to the effect of “get rid of your dogs or see you in court”. All very well, MBSA, but I wish you would take the real felons, criminals, polluters, vandals and law-breakers to court; not the housewife who keeps a Cocker Spaniel in her terrace house, and not the law-abiding citizen who loves and cares for his mongrels.


(This post was edited by graceyeelim on Aug 7, 2004, 2:49 AM)


eli
Enthusiast


Aug 7, 2004, 2:44 AM

Post #2 of 13 (5079 views)
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Re: [graceyeelim] Is this happening to you also? [In reply to] Can't Post

hi, i live in puchong, a MPSJ area. early this year, i tried to get a third dog licence only to be told the no. of dogs allowed has been limited to 2, irregard of type of property.
previously, it was 2 for intermediate lot, more if u have a corner/end-lot with garden so i argued with her.
she said i had to see the pegawai i/c who conveniently wasn't in.
my third dog is as yet unlicensed... she's small and stays in the house when we are not around but that is not the best solution.

your situation is one of the reasons i will never move to shah alam (another reason being the restriction on pork!) but no telling if MPSJ will take up similar action.

there is someone living in shah alam and who has told me before she'd help ppl having problems with the authorities over their dogs. let me see if i still have her contact no.

in the meantime, hang in there...


loafer
Dog Kichi


Aug 9, 2004, 7:58 PM

Post #3 of 13 (5050 views)
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Re: [graceyeelim] Is this happening to you also? [In reply to] Can't Post

Perhaps we should get a truck-load of pigs and let them run free in Shah Alam? Just kidding. We're not as despicable as some people are. No offence to all the malays out there. I know it's just a minority of you who are trying to suppress us dog-lovers and some even have dogs themselves.

Its sad that at this age and time, such attitude still exist within our civilisation. It's no wonder some nations do not move forward with technology but yet are going backward in time. We all live in a multi-racial country. I believe our previous Prime Minister has always voiced out the need for racial tolerance and respect to others. As such, do we complain to the relevant authorities when we're lambasted with the sweet sound of music in the evenings from the mosque? No we tolerate. Do we complain while having to squeeze thru all those illegally and double-parked cars on the main roads on Friday afternoons? No we tolerate. So, what is it that we've done to deserve such treatment? Why is it that some years back the police came and summoned all the cars parked illegally outside Batu Caves during Thaipusam? Have we not contributed enough to Malaysia that we can proudly say it is ours too? I am not here to start a racial riot or anything of that sort. Please understand my anger towards the disparities here in the country we all call Home. One is always preaching about equality and tolerance while the underlings are just doing the opposite. Sometimes I don't even dare say I'm from Malaysia.

As always, I would really love to say "It's about time someone did something about it", but I can't because there is just nothing else that can be done anymore. I totally agree with grace that the resources should be directed elsewhere and not towards dog-loving people like us. Unsure


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Gus-Gus
Canine Addict

Sep 4, 2004, 1:35 PM

Post #4 of 13 (5008 views)
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Re: [loafer] Is this happening to you also? [In reply to] Can't Post

I truly sympathise with all of you and your dog problems.

It is a few nasty anti-dog people who try and force their point of view on others. Sad thing is that these petty people are just the type of people who ought to have a dog from whom to learn a few lessons in common decency. It's not just Malays - I know of quite a few Malays who keep pet dogs and are proud of them. One of them actually dislikes cats - says they are ungrateful creatures. She had 2 cats and 2 dogs. She went away for a month - the only time she had gone away in over 10 years of the cats' lives with her - to find when she came back that the cats had moved over to the neighbours' and refused to come back!!! The dogs on the other hand were very happy to see her.

But I digress.....

Let me share with you some little known facts about local council regulations on dog ownership. Most of these rulings on dog ownership are ad hoc and NOT gazetted. Have you ever read a copy of your local council act pertaining to dog ownership? I suggest you get one and read it carefully. You’ll find lots of rules and regulations that the council is trying to impose on you which are not mentioned because they are not the law - just the council being dictatorial and getting away with it because no one thinks of questioning them.

I live in PJ under MPPJ. The council tried to make me give up my 4 dogs which I kept in my terrace house. My neighbour is anti-dog. He is not Malay nor Muslim. His house is surrounded by other dog-owning households but he only attacked my household because we are his neighbours in closest proximity - our driveways were separated by a chainlink fence until he built a solid brick wall. He had friends in the local council and thought he could use his "influence" to cause me trouble. Believe you me, I am not the type to just take anyone's crap. You think you can use the law against me, I can use the law back.

The local council can refuse to issue you a dog licence or impose all manner of "regulations" on you and try to limit the number of dogs you can keep on your property. You can ask the council officer to put their refusal in writing. Ask them to specify in the letter of refusal the exact statute in the local council regulations under which they are refusing to issue you a licence/ imposing these regulations/ limiting the number of dogs you are allowed to keep. Most times, they would be unable to do so and would refuse to issue you a letter. YOU put their refusal in writing to them as a record. Keep all these records. Guarantee you this – local councils are notoriously inefficient - by the time they try enforcing anything on you, chances are your dogs would have expired of old age!!! If your council is uncharacteristically efficient in persecuting you and your dogs, scream victimisation and take it to press, complain to the PM's office, find one of those numerous social activists. With unhygenic food outlets, clogged drains, unrepaired roads, broken street lights, uncollected refuse, illegal extensions (and so the list goes on) you have plenty of ammunition to make a huge fuss about the council going after a poor little dog!!!

Make sure they can't get to your dog. Never let your dog out of your compound without a lead. Get a padlock for your gate. I have personally seen them trying to open my front gate in order to let my dogs out so that they could seize them as strays. Too bad for them I have a padlock on my gate. I was in the garden with my dogs (I never let them out of the front door without keeping an eye on them) but the council officers didn't see me watching them. Once, they even brought a shotgun with them - for a poodle!!!!

If they come and try to seize your dog, remember you are not obliged to open your gate to let them on to your property. They cannot come on to your property without your permission. They cannot force their way on to your property. They cannot take your dog away without a court order (yeah right, get a court order to seize a dog? With snatch thieves, illegal VCD vendors, rapists, murderers and other such criminals, if they can get a court order to seize a dog, that really would be an abuse of power to scream about.)

Make sure all your dogs are licensed. How, when the council is refusing to issue you a licence? With a little ingenuity you can - don't apply for all the licences at the same time. You go in one day, your spouse/ family member goes in another. Register one dog in your name and the other in your spouse/ family member's name. Do you believe that your local council is soooo efficient that they would know that a property has been issued with more than one/ two/ three dog licences? At one time I had 8 dog licences issued to my address. My mother had her handbag snatched and the 4 licences were in her bag. We had to pay for 4 new licences because MPPJ could not (would not?) trace the application for the original 4 licences.

Spread out the dog registration to more than one address - ask a dog-less but sympathetic friend/ relative if you can use their address. So the council comes and sees more than one dog at your house - dogs can be visitors too you know Wink. It's not illegal to look after a friend's dog if they have to go away suddenly. (Away for how long? Don't know.)

Get a doghouse? Hah, my dogs wouldn't sleep in one either - no aircon. As I type this, I have a dog lying in my bed fast asleep. I'd sooner sleep in a doghouse than put my dogs in one and there are council regulations against a human being living in a doghouse.

Ensure your dog is not being a nuisance with it's barking. Take it for obedience classes if you don't know how to train it yourself. When the council enforcement officers came to my house, they provoked my dogs into barking but my dogs were very obedient and the moment I asked them to go into the house, the dogs stopped barking and went in. They weren't always compliant but they were when it mattered.

Clear your dog poo. I have a very verdant garden.

Let me make it clear that I am not some troublemaker who wilfully acquired 4 dogs while living in a terrace house. I moved here from abroad and brought my 2 dogs. I lived with my parents who themselves had 2 dogs which is how we ended up with 4 in the terrace house. My dogs were not a nuisance but my neighbour is fervently anti-dog. He is so anti-dog that he yelled at his children for saying "hello" to one of my dogs.

When the neighbour started his vicious campaign, I was not going to be cowed. He had only moved in "recently" (within the last 2 years, at that time) but we had had our house since the 70s.

You do NOT have to be intimidated by the bullying tactics of the local council. Read your local council regulations on dog ownership carefully. The council relies on your ignorance to enforce their unlawful behaviour. Exploit every legal loophole available to you. I am not a lawyer nor am I legally trained.

It’s been over 10 years since my neighbour first started his campaign against my dogs. The local council tried all sorts of tactics to force me to get rid of them - without success. Of those 4 dogs, only one is left, the others have died of old age. I have since adopted another dog. Dog lovers out there, don’t just sit there quietly while someone is trying to hurt your dog. Know your rights – don’t believe what you are told by people who have an ulterior motive to lie to you.

If local councils were truly concerned about excessive numbers of dogs, they would do something about puppy mills and commercial breeders. They would limit the number of business licences they give out to pet shops selling live animals and not target dogs in loving homes.


"The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated" Mahatma Ghandi.


denzerogent
Novice

Apr 27, 2005, 8:10 PM

Post #5 of 13 (4811 views)
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Re: [eli] Is this happening to you also? [In reply to] Can't Post

hi eli...

you said that u knew someone who can help dogs owner in shah alam that had problem with that stupid MBSA rite? dya still have the contact of that person? can u provide me with the contacts? there's had been a major problem for dogs owner in shah alam lately. pls help....

thank you


denzerogent
Novice

Apr 27, 2005, 8:15 PM

Post #6 of 13 (4810 views)
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Re: [graceyeelim] Is this happening to you also? [In reply to] Can't Post

hi graceyeelim...

have u got the licence for your dogs in KK yet? i'm also staying in shah alam, bukit rimau, just moved in and all these stupid problem arised.... and i'm in an intermediate lot.... dunno wat to do...

need to ask u, u said that MBSA issued u summonses b4 for keeping your dogs without licences rite? can i know how much (RM) is the summonses? did they also issued you with those nonsense so call court warning letters?

wat is the status of licencing for your dogs now? MBSA had really gone beyond the edge!!!!

pls advice.... veri much appreciated.

thank u...


eli
Enthusiast


Apr 28, 2005, 3:59 AM

Post #7 of 13 (4789 views)
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Re: [denzerogent] Is this happening to you also? [In reply to] Can't Post

hi,
yes, i spoke to this person but it was a long time ago and i have not been able to find her phone no. since. more difficult now to find that piece of paper i wrote her name and no. cos i moved house recently.
will try looking again.
hope there will be good news for us both.


graceyeelim
Novice

Apr 28, 2005, 4:32 PM

Post #8 of 13 (4778 views)
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Re: [denzerogent] Is this happening to you also? [In reply to] Can't Post

Hi ,

The summone is about RM150, u can negotiate for lower amount.

The process of MBSA cathcing a dog is a really "huge" process. There will come in a troop of 5-8 people, and will issue you a warning letter and asked you to dispose your dogs within 7 days. After the 7th days, the troop will come and summone will be issued if dogs have yet to be disposed.

We move down from Penang whereby a state of freedom in keeping dogs, really is a nightmare to us as dog lovers.

In Reply To



Toy
K9 Maniac


Apr 28, 2005, 5:35 PM

Post #9 of 13 (4776 views)
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Re: [Gus-Gus] Is this happening to you also? [In reply to] Can't Post

well said.. well said!!!

i totally agree with u & appreciate ur time to write such a detail msg. this is wat im doing too! nah.. the local council really cant do anything beside shouting like crazy outside ur house lah.

wat should u do? stand within ur property & ask them to keep quiet.

the main point is, the rule they set r not law. & ur property is protected by law. they will never able to sue u in court as there is no such law, dont be threatened. but if they were to enter ur premise or shoot ur dog from outside, we can sue them, there is a law protecting.

rather than blaming the govt, we should say thank u.

abt the summon, just dont give them ur ic lah, then they will issue: kepada penghuni... blablabla.

then wat should u do? ignore.

hey man, by not paying a summon without ur name, wat can they do to u? even if it is with ur name, u think they can come & cut ur electric or water or something?

hohoho~ happy dog rules!


bullylicious
Member


Apr 28, 2005, 8:01 PM

Post #10 of 13 (4764 views)
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Re: [eli] Is this happening to you also? [In reply to] Can't Post

Hi ELi,

I just would like to know how many dog license can we apply per house in Subang Jaya area?What if that someone is a breeder and has a few dogs?


BULLYLICIOUS INC SAYS "MESS WITH MY BULLDOGS,GET THE SLOBBERS!"


denzerogent
Novice

Apr 28, 2005, 11:46 PM

Post #11 of 13 (4751 views)
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Re: [graceyeelim] Is this happening to you also? [In reply to] Can't Post

RM150 huh?? by the way, have u got your licence for your dogs oredi? how many summonses have you got by the way? what happen if they came n give u 1 summon everyweek? bankrupt lar like dat.... this council is really nonsense...

did u really go n pay the summonses?

now newspapers have published the new law for getting licence from MBSA. did u read dat? its even worse now.... some dogs they banned from getting licence....

arrggghhh...... this stupid town council really make life difficult for dogs owner.... regret buying house in shah alam... maybe i should just put up the sign for sale n if anyone comes along, then juz sell it off n shift to some other places where got no this kind of problems..... but if nobody voice out this, then i think slowly all the town councils in klang valley will also follow this stupid MBSA.... maybe michael chong can help... hahahaha....

but i dun know how to contact michael chong leh.....


eli
Enthusiast


Apr 29, 2005, 12:12 AM

Post #12 of 13 (4746 views)
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Re: [bullylicious] Is this happening to you also? [In reply to] Can't Post

hi, i dunno what rules apply to a breeder but in mpsj, if i remember correctly from the brochure i picked up, u are allowed not more than 2 dogs if u live in a terrace house, and up to 4 dogs if corner lot or bungalow.
last year mpsj tried to impose a new regulation of getting permission from ur neighbours b4 keeping a dog. this eventually wasn't enforced but when i tried to get a third licence, the officer said it was no longer allowed, i.e. now max allowed is 2 dogs. i asked to see person i/c but he was out. i ended up not getting the third licence.

we have since moved from this corner lot to an intermediate unit, so i've already run foul of their regulations with 3 dogs.
what i did was apply for licence under new house and renewed existing licences under old house... not the best (or honest!) solution but i can't give up any of the dogs!


bullylicious
Member


Apr 29, 2005, 2:52 AM

Post #13 of 13 (4741 views)
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Re: [eli] Is this happening to you also? [In reply to] Can't Post

eli,

Thanks for sharing your experiences.Anyway I have called the authority MPSJ Subang area and got all the neccesary infos from them.Evrything settled..


BULLYLICIOUS INC SAYS "MESS WITH MY BULLDOGS,GET THE SLOBBERS!"

 
 




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