THE Penang Island City Council (MBPP) and the Independent Aid for Protection and Welfare of Animals (IAPWA) are both taking measures to mitigate disturbances near a school caused by barking dogs at the MBPP Stray Dog Control Centre.
MBPP councillor Nicholas Theng Jie Wey said to reduce the sound of the barking dogs, the council built a high wall fence between the stray dog control centre and the school in March 2023.
“The council held a discussion with the school, representatives of the district education office and officers of the Malaysian Ministry of Education on July 16, 2024.
“A reminder was issued to the IAPWA to ensure that the sound of barking dogs is controlled and does not cause disruption to the school,” Theng told a press conference today, in response to a video circulating online claiming that the barking dogs at the centre are affecting the tranquillity of the nearby schools with their barking.
According to Theng, the MBPP Stray Dog Control Centre came under the care of IAPWA through a memorandum of understanding signed between MBPP and IAPWA on May 30, 2019.
In a statement, IAPWA said it has taken steps such as ensuring all activities, including visits, adoptions, and donations, are conducted after school hours, allowing official visits from 2pm to 5pm (instead of from 8am to 5pm), covering kennels with cloths/towels, arranging for staff to work earlier at 7am (instead of 8am) before school starts, and taking dogs under rehabilitation that need exercise out for walks after school hours.
The centre’s primary purpose is to manage the population of stray dogs using the Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) programme. After sterilisation, the dogs are kept at the centre for a week before being adopted or released.
Also present at the press conference were Lim Siew Khim, the state executive councillor for Social Development, Welfare and non-Islamic Religious Affairs, and Choong Koon Yen, the IAPWA president.
Lim stressed the importance of fair representation and urged the public not to dismiss the efforts made by the staff and authorities in controlling the stray dog population.
Story by Nurul Hawa Farahin Hameddy
Pix by Law Suun Ting