Iskandar Puteri City Council (MBIP) has received 5,375 complaints on stray dogs in the past five years, averaging 80 a month.
Iskandar Puteri mayor Datuk Hasrin Kamal Hashim said 979 complaints were received in 2021, with the number increasing to 1,054 in 2022 and 1,278 in 2023.
“It declined in 2024, with 977 complaints, but went up again to 1,087 in 2025.
“We are yet to compile this year’s figures,” he told StarMetro.
Hasrin Kamal said dogs caught were taken to the city council’s facility in Taman Impian Emas, Skudai.
“There are also other strays (caught) including cats, cows and even fowl,” he added.
He said there was no exact number of animals at the place as it was a temporary holding facility.
Hasrin Kamal added that the count changed daily based on council operations, pet releases and handovers to animal welfare non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
“Dog catching is carried out by contractors appointed by us and monitored by our officers,’’ he added.
Hasrin Kamal said contractors must follow the Housing and Local Government Ministry guidelines for catching and disposing of stray dogs in local authority areas.
Stray dogs, he said, were usually found roaming and breeding in bushy areas, abandoned development projects or deserted construction workers’ quarters.
Packs of stray dogs roaming around residential areas, he said, could cause a nuisance and pose a risk to residents, as well as create conflict with pets.
“Complaints have also been received concerning people frequently feeding stray dogs,” he said, adding that most of them fed animals at commercial shop lots or open fields.
Hasrin Kamal said the city council would investigate complaints and if found to be true, a Notice to Abate Nuisance would be issued.
“There are also a few irresponsible dog owners who abandon their old and sick dogs, leading to the increase in the stray dog population.
He added that MBIP and Noah’s Ark Animal Clinic are running monthly trap-neuter-return (TNR) programmes to manage the stray dog population and encourage owners to neuter their pets.
