SIBU: The city's stray dog problem has escalated to the point that the Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) needs to outsource the work of catching these animals.
"It's a big problem. We need to outsource the work as soon as possible," SMC chairman Clarence Ting said at the council's full board meeting on Wednesday (July 26).
The council would need to get two contractors to back up its own dog-catching team, he added.
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Ting said the council needed to look into the issue fast due to the threat of rabies.
"It will be a very lengthy process if we are to apply to (the Public Service Department) to form another team, so I encourage us to outsource," he added.
The council's sole dog-catching team catches between 90 and 200 dogs a month.
"In Sibu many people get bitten by dogs but fortunately they have not contracted rabies but the danger is there. So we need to (act) fast," he said.
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Ting also called on citizens to be more mindful as most dogs roaming the city streets are eventually found to have owners.
"(If we catch) any dog... we will not release it, and the owner also cannot claim it," he warned.
