A TODDLER was playing outside his house in Semporna district, Sabah, when a pack of stray dogs attacked him.
The boy died. This happened on Nov 4.
Prior to that, in September, a group of men were caught on video cruelly killing some dogs, also in Semporna.
They had tied ropes on the dogs and pulled on them before beating the canines to death.
Why is this happening?
On one hand we hear about people brutally killing and abusing dogs, while on the other we have news of dogs attacking humans.
Wild animals in general attack humans when they feel threatened; domestic animals seldom attack.
Humans are supposed to be rational, thinking beings and in this case, I feel the problem lies with us.
We should be able to make decisions to prevent packs of strays from attacking people and also stop ourselves from abusing animals.
Dogs are supposed to be domesticated animals, this means dog owners are supposed to control, train and manage their numbers.
Irresponsible dog owners who ditch their pets for whatever reasons, are contributing to the problem of stray dogs.
Dogs usually behave on instinct, including for survival.
When abandoned, it is natural for dogs to form packs to socialise, hunt and for mutual protection against threats, including humans.
Action is needed and it should start with strict enforcement to ensure dog owners spay or neuter their animals while also subjecting them to hefty fines...or even jail terms...if they abandon their pets.
There should definitely be jail time for those who abuse dogs. And action should be taken, in accordance with the law, if dogs become a threat to humans.
Compassion and responsible pet ownership should be taught in schools.
When the root cause of this problem is addressed and tackled, there shouldn’t be uncontrolled stray populations and it would be a safer, healthier and cleaner environment for everyone.
The issue of stray animals was also raised during a recent Sabah state assembly sitting.
Bugaya assemblyman Jamil Hamzah called on the authorities to round up all the strays in Semporna, following the recent dog attack cases in the district.
Tungku assemblyman Assafal Alian suggested that the state government to set up temporary shelters for stray animals in every district, instead of just letting them roam freely or culling them.
He said it was more humane for strays to be kept in a safe place until they are ready to be put up for adoption, as this also benefits the community in the long run.
Deputy Chief Minister II Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam, who is also Sabah Local Government and Housing Minister, said the state encouraged local councils to set up pounds to alleviate the problem.
“We want this matter to be addressed in a positive manner,” he said.
As for the Semporna incident, Dr Gunsalam said he did not want to comment until he received a detailed report of the incident.
He acknowledged that the matter was not easy to resolve, due to pressure from animal rights groups.
However, he said state authorities were willing to work with the various stakeholders to address issues involving strays.
Cases of abuse and attacks can be significantly reduced if proper measures are taken by authorities, the community and dog owners.
And that has to start with us.
