OCT 2011 - During the Animal Cruelty Seminar held at MBPJ Petaling Jaya City Hall on 21st October, the Dept of Veterinary Services admitted that the law concerning animal abuse was outdated as the penalty for animal abusers was only RM200 or imprisonment of not more than six months, or both.
Also present at the seminar were representatives from MBPJ, Subang Jaya Municipal Council MPSJ, Klang Municipal Council MPK and animal rights NGOs and human rights lawyer Edmund Bon. Each briefly presented on the challenges and possible solutions that they can make for stray control.
The MPK Director of Health mentioned that the Selangor state government would form a Canine Advisory Team (CAT). With the installation of the team, they would be able to coordinate dealing with stray animals efficiently as it will also involve representatives from all local councils in Selangor. Currently only MBPJ, MPK and MPSJ have the committee, which is a stepping stone to educate people on being responsible pet owners on a local council level.
The newly formed CAT team also stated that there are municipal councils who did not have the expertise to deal with strays in the past but have come a long way since then - and welcome public participation and suggestions in dealing with the matter.