MBPJ probes tussle during dog-catching operation

PETALING JAYA: The Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) will look into the case of a senior citizen who alleged that he was roughed up by its officers during a dog-catching operation, which was caught on video that has since gone viral.

The senior citizen has lodged a police report against the council’s vector control unit, claiming that one of its officers was rough with him during the operation.

In the report lodged at the Brickfields district police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, Patrick Khoo, 69, alleged that two MBPJ dog-catching unit enforcement officers came chasing after his pet dogs, which he kept in his office at Taman Kanagapuram.

The dog owner tried to intervene, and a tussle broke out between them during the incident at about 9pm on Wednesday.

Khoo alleged that the dog catcher had swiped the dog-catching loop he was holding against the left side of his (Khoo’s) face, causing him pain that has not subsided.

There were CCTV recordings of the incident, he added.

Khoo, who owns and manages a lubricant oil supply company, said the dog-catchers had taken away three adult dogs and a puppy.

He said he had vaccinated and neutered the dogs he kept at his office premises.

“They are also bathed on a regular basis,” he added.

The CCTV recordings have been posted on social media by a Facebook user. The post has since raised the ire of animal rights activists and dog lovers who were outraged at how Khoo and his dogs were treated in the alleged incident.

MBPJ Health and Environmental Services director Dr V. Chithradavi said the matter was being looked into.

“We are investigating and speaking to the team and staff members involved. Once it is ready, we will update (the public) accordingly,’’ she added.

MBPJ sends all the canines caught by its dog-catching unit to the PAWS Animal Welfare Society in Ara Damansara here. A PAWS representative said MBPJ had sent in three dogs and a puppy on Thursday.

“We heard about the commotion and expected the dog owner to come over but no one has come to claim the dogs so far,” the representative said.