Dog owner confused by Lo’s statement on stray dogs

KUCHING: The owner of a dog which went missing in Stapok area under the jurisdiction of Padawan Municipal Council ( MPP) recently said he is confused by MPP chairman Lo Khere Chiang’s statement that the council only catches stray dogs and not those which are licensed and vaccinated.

The dog owner who only wanted to be known by his surname Chiong told The Borneo Post that he welcomes Lo’s statement but the reality on the ground was not what he said.

On Lo’s call for him to contact MPP officers to get a clearer picture of the council’s SOP in rounding up strays, he said in fact he had communicated with members of the council and the head of dog catching unit before making his complaint.

Chiong said he was told that once a dog was caught there was no way the dog would be released back to the owner even if like in his case the dog had a licence and was vaccinated.

A councilor he contacted told him the licence for the dog was for the dog to be kept within the house compound and not roam freely outside.

The person in charge of the dog pound told him there were cases of the whole family going to the dog pound with the children crying pleading for their pet dogs to be released to no avail.

Chiong urged Lo to get his message on the council’s policy in catching dogs to his officers and councilors as it was clear that the catching unit did not follow what he said.