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Dogs: Scrap ‘neighbours views’ rule, MBSA


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Dogs: Scrap ‘neighbours views’ rule, MBSA
Responsible Pet Ownership
Mar 16, 06 4:31pm



Congratulations are in order for the mayor of Shah Alam for announcing last week that most of MBSA’s new regulations on dog ruling which local dog owners had vehemently objected to as harsh and unreasonable will be modified or scrapped with immediate effect.

However, there is still one more issue that needs a serious rethink: the requirement of views of immediate neighbours on the right and left before a new pet owner is allowed to have a dog. The MBSA may have well-intentioned reasons for their decision in wanting to prevent an unpleasant situation before it happens.

However, the negatives for such a move far outweighs the positive. They are as extreme as banning all bikers in the city in order to prevent snatch thefts on motorcycles. Checking with neighbours first before deciding to grant a wannabe dog owner a licence not only goes against the grain of his basic right as a Malaysian citizen to be able to own a pet of his liking but it also grants his neighbours an unfair advantage and privilege over him in being able to dictate the kind of pets the owner should or should not possess.

This leaves potential new dog owners in Shah Alam feeling vulnerable and discriminated against when it comes to them wanting to have a dog. Such an exercise will only invite prejudiced remarks by neighbours who might have stereotyped thinking or personal phobias about dogs.

Besides, obtaining neighbours’ views about dogs - especially about a dog they have never seen or an owner who has never had the chance to prove himself - will not be able to say anything about responsible pet ownership. Imagine forcing new cat owners to do this also!

Non-feline owners are likely to also say no to their neighbours because they wouldn’t want cats jumping over walls and defecating in their garden or making love cries all night long. Thus the MBSA should totally scrap the ‘neighbours views requirement’ at once and concentrate more on the root causes of irresponsible pet ownership which can be best done through long-term education.

As a progressive and forward-thinking city that Shah Alam aspires to be, the council should be seen as trying to encourage more people to have pets for healthy living and a better life - not appear as if they are trying to deprive or curb its constituents from having a right to own dogs.


Palestinians below dogs and cats?
04:15pm Thu Feb 09, 2006
Pitbulls for now. Next?
04:34pm Wed Jan 25, 2006
Don’t tease the dogs, please
03:08pm Tue Jan 24, 2006
Banning Rottweilers a waste of time
03:18pm Mon Jan 23, 2006
Dog issue: Vets should remove their muzzle
05:53pm Wed Jan 18, 2006
Dog issue: MBSA shouldn’t exclude disabled
03:26pm Tue Jan 17, 2006
Dog-control rules will aid criminals
03:57pm Mon Jan 16, 2006
Unreasonable MBSA regulations on dogs
07:33pm Wed Dec 28, 2005
MBSA shouldn’t bite dog owners
01:58pm Thu Dec 22, 2005
Have responsible cat owners, too
12:42pm Thu Jul 14, 2005
Let’s have ‘responsible care’ from dog owners
12:46pm Tue Jul 05, 2005
Anti-woof remarks deserve muzzle
01:42pm Thu Jun 30, 2005
Argument against dogs lacks bite
12:47pm Wed Jun 29, 2005
Pets play important role in civilised society
01:33pm Wed May 11, 2005
Have animal behaviour education in schools
12:47pm Tue May 10, 2005
Rottweiler ban a savage attack
01:33pm Thu May 05, 2005
Spare a thought for our pets
01:30pm Wed May 04, 2005
Round up the owners, not the dogs
01:46pm Fri Mar 25, 2005




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