KUALA LUMPUR: The owner of a dog that was hit by his neighbour was fined RM15,000 by the Ampang Sessions Court here for failing to take care of the animal's welfare.
Sessions Court judge Wan Mohd Norisham Wan Yaakob meted the sentence on Yee Chan Fai, 37, after he pleaded guilty to failing to take reasonable steps to ensure that the needs of the animal were fulfilled when the animal was injured at a house in Taman Saga, at 9am on May 24, 2022.
Yee, who worked as a mechanic, was charged under Section 24 (1)(a)(v) of the Animal Welfare Act 2015, punishable under Section 24 (3) of the same Act.
The law provision provided a fine from RM15,000 to RM75,000, a maximum two-year jail time or both if convicted.
The court also ordered Yee to serve three months in jail if he fails to pay the fine.
Prior to passing the sentence, Wan Mohd Norisham said that as an animal owner, Yee should have put his dog on a leash within his home compound to prevent it from hurting people.
"Animals cannot talk. You are not supposed to abuse and neglect it. The dog is yours, yet you left the gates open until it ran out and injured other people.
"In this case, the complainant is the victim who got hurt by the dog. The victim also suffered losses when he had to pay fines (for hurting the dog). The dog was injured because of your negligence," Wan Mohd Norisham said here on Thursday.
The prosecuting officer from the Selangor Veterinary Services Department, Mohd Sharif Sabran, asked the court to mete out a heavy sentence against Yee on the grounds of public interest and to serve as a lesson to other dog owners.
"The complainant had been fined RM23,000 for hitting the dog. That does not include his legal fees and his medical costs. I ask the court to consider this factor," Mohd Sharif said.
Lawyer Wan Nur Afifah Che Bakar, who represented Yee, asked for a lenient sentence as her client had to support his parents, sister and two children aged six and eight.
"Yee had never been convicted before. He is remorseful and promises not to repeat the same mistake," she said.
