SIBU: The Sibu Rural District Council (SRDC) chairman, Sempurai Petrus Ngelai, has dismissed allegations that the dogs roaming around the Sibu Jaya and Selangau areas are stray dogs.
Instead, he said they are pets that have been released by their owners.
He added that the stray dog operation carried out by the council a few years ago to reduce the number of stray dogs had been successful.
“Some pet owners allow their pets to roam in public places such as coffee shops, causing this problem to persist,” he said in a press conference during the SRDC new building project document handover to the contractor at the project site today (Jan 3).
He added that he had also received many reports about roaming dogs, and in some cases, dog owners have acted aggressively toward the SRDC dog unit team trying to address the situation.
“We cannot handle this issue alone. We need cooperation from the community to ensure pets are controlled within their homes or enclosures,” he said.
He advised pet owners to ensure their pets are well taken care of and warned that if they fail to do so, local authorities may have to intervene to prevent a bigger issue.
Meanwhile, regarding the rabies cases, Sempurai said that it remains a serious concern, and he hoped that the SRDC Environment and Public Standing Committee, led by its chairman, Councillor Kevin Lau Kor Jie, would intensify efforts to raise awareness among the public.
“The health and safety campaign implemented by SRDC also focuses on raising awareness about rabies, which can be transmitted not only by dogs but also by cats.
“SRDC will continue to work with the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) to combat the rabies risk and ensure more effective preventive measures are carried out,” he said.
