No more leniency, rabies enforcement to begin soon, Mayor warns dog owners
KUCHING (July 21): Kuching South mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng has issued a stern warning to irresponsible dog owners that enforcement action will begin very soon as part of ongoing efforts to keep rabies under control in the state.
He said owners who fail to comply with the mandatory anti-rabies vaccination requirement for their pets would face a fine not exceeding RM2,500 under Section 40 of the Veterinary Public Health Ordinance 1999.
'The Department of Veterinary Services Sarawak (DVSS) will start taking action very soon.
'I cannot tell you when, but it will definitely be within this year,' he told a press conference held in conjunction with the proposed single-storey community centre project at Hui Sing Park here today.
He stressed that there no longer be leniency, pointing out that in the past, he had personally appealed to the higher authorities to reduce the compound to RM50 as a warning, in consideration of the difficult economic situation faced by many pet owners.
'Last time, I wrote to the higher authorities and said time is bad, please give this as a warning. So, we penalised people RM50 out of RM2,000,' he said.
However, Wee said that despite the reduced penalty and repeated public education efforts, many pet owners still failed to vaccinate their pets or keep them secured, putting others at risk.
'Now people still don't want to listen. So, it's no longer fair.
'Enough is enough. We have done our part, and we expect pet owners to do theirs,' he added.
He pointed out that authorities have continued to do their part such as increasing the number of free vaccination drives from twice to five times a year.
'We pay for these weekend vaccination drives. Who pays for the overtime? We pay. And when I say 'we', it's the taxpayers.
'Why should the wider community pay the price for a small group of people who are irresponsible?' he remarked.
While the mayor acknowledged that recent rabies control efforts have shown encouraging results, with zero dog bite cases reported in the past week, he said MBKS is continuing to monitor the situation weekly with DVS, and stricter enforcement is needed to prevent complacency.
'We hope pet owners will take this seriously before we start issuing compounds. If your dog is not vaccinated, you will be fined.
'The penalties can go beyond just a fine. Under the law, the authorities also have the power to impose imprisonment in serious cases,' he said. dog owners enforcement lead rabies Wee Hong Seng
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No more leniency, rabies enforcement to begin soon, Mayor warns dog owners
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