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CITY Hall has succeeded in catching a pair of dogs from an Inanam commercial property and is keeping a lookout for canines wandering about unsupervised in a Kepayan neighbourhood.

This follows feedback from the patron of an eatery in the Taipan area of Inanam and a Taman Ridgeview Phase 9 homeowner about the nuisance posed by strays roaming about the common areas at these locations.

The former related the discomfort he felt when some dogs approached the table on the pavement, where he and his friend were sitting to beg for scraps. 

The Kepayan rate-payer, meanwhile, spoke out about having been bitten on her buttocks by three strays, which unexpectedly came up from behind, while she was opening her front gate around 11pm recently.

Since this incident, she said had been wary of any canines wandering on her housing road when she came home at night. She had also taken to bringing an umbrella with her to chase away any dogs which might come close.

These individuals provided Hotline with the pertinent details regarding to their canine encounters. This information was forwarded to the agency.

A spokeswoman for City Hall’s Environmental Health Department (EHD) said inspections were made of Jalan KK Taipan and Lorong Ridgeview 1, shortly after it was made aware of the complainants’ concerns.

“Nine members with our Animal Control Unit (ACU) walked around the different blocks in Taipan,” she said. “They were armed with hand-held tube nets.”

She said the team managed to snare two dogs which were loaded onto the open truck deployed to facilitate the team’s effort.

This action was taken on “a goodwill basis” as Taipan does not fall under its jurisdiction, according to her. 

“A check of our records shows that it has not yet been handed over to us and, as such, is considered ‘kawasan persendirian’ (private property).  We have not yet assumed responsibility for this part of Inanam.”

Therefore, she said, the onus was on the management company (MC) to deal with any irregularities that took place around the buildings there. 

“This includes the nuisance posed by any strays which come into the common areas. It is up to the management to strategise on the most effective means to tackle the problem.”

The spokeswoman said the EHD was open to providing the company with pointers in this regard.

“Should the MC wish, a joint inspection could be carried out between ACU personnel and the firm’s representatives.  We could even give the firm temporary use of our traps to help the management minimise the nuisance.”

The spokeswoman said a similar dog-catching exercise was mounted in Taman Ridgeview Phase 9 a week earlier, but the Unit came back empty handed in this instance.

Nevertheless, she said, ACU members handed out pamphlets on City Hall’s dog-rearing guidelines or left them in post-boxes of homes on Lorong Ridgeview 1 and the roads nearby

She said the homeowners they encountered were reminded about the agency’s two-dog limit, as well as the necessity to have their canines registered with the agency.

“Dog-owners were also asked to ensure that their pets were properly vaccinated and did not become a public nuisance. 

“They were told to accompany their canines if they released their pets into the common areas. Their dogs had be leashed up in such situations.”

She said pet-owners were also advised to step in when their canines started barking so that this noise did not continue non-stop and disturb their neighbours.

A total of 20 pamphlets were distributed on this occasion, according to her.

“Some of those whom they met were asked about the strays but none claimed to have seen any canines roaming about on the stretches here.”

“The ACU will make periodic checks of Taman Ridgeview Phase 9 to determine whether rate-payers are complying with our requirements.”

The spokeswoman said the Unit was authorised to catch any canines found wandering unsupervised on those roads under its jurisdiction.

She said the owners could be compounded up to RM500 – under City Hall’s Registration and Control of Dogs By-laws 1963 (Amendment 2008) – and would have to settle this penalty before their dogs were returned to them.

“Repeat offenders risk being taken to court. If found guilty, they could be subject to a fine for as much as RM5,000.”