KUCHING: Three traps set up, but all Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) had for the effort is just one dog.
It could have been two dogs, but someone, some ‘Good Samaritan’ took pity on one of the dogs and released it, leaving DBKU mayor Datuk Abang Abdul Wahap Abang Julai (pic) scratching his head.
“We have set up three traps there. The sad part is that we discovered a dog had actually been trapped but somebody had released it,” he told reporters when met at the 13th Asia Pacific Orchid Conference (Apoc 13).
The mayor voiced his concern, saying: “When dogs are caught and released, they get emotionally tense and that is when they are prone to attacking people.”
He appealed to the public not to release any trapped dogs as doing so would jeopardise DBKU’s
dog-catching operations.
He further said that to his
knowledge there were five resident dogs in Reservoir Park.
“One other sad point is that joggers themselves are bringing food for the dogs. This encourages them to stay there,” Abdul Wahap added.
Meanwhile, DBKU director Dr Morshidi Ahmad said, “Even if we have caught the five in the area, other dogs from other areas will come in. So it is going to be a continuous effort to get rid of the stray dogs.”
Earlier at the same event, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah also shared a similar idea that food offered by joggers had resulted in an
increase in stray dogs in Reservoir Park.
“The aggressive dog was probably an outsider,” he said, adding that as a regular jogger at Reservoir Park himself, he felt that the resident dogs usually had mild
temperaments.
“I know the local authority will know how to address this issue. Although the Sarawak Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) may not be very happy about it, human lives are more important,” Abdul Karim emphasised.
The dogs that were caught during the operations have been sent to the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) Sarawak.
