No poison found where dogs reportedly died, says Penang council

GEORGE TOWN: There is no evidence that dogs in the Tanjung Bungah area were poisoned, says the Penang Island City Council (MBPP).

Investigators from MBPP and the Penang Veterinary Services Department (DVS) have also found no foul play in the case of a dog whose owner claimed it was poisoned, says exco member Jason H'ng Mooi Lye.

The state local government, town and country planning committee chairman urged anyone with information on the dogs' reported deaths to come forward and help with investigations.

"We are not ruling out that there have been stray dogs in the area posing a nuisance to the public, and the animals may have been poisoned.

"People in the area put up a signboard warning dog owners not to leave their pets' excrement lying around," he told a press conference at Komtar on Wednesday (July 17).

ALSO READ: Candlelight vigil for poisoned dogs in Tanjung Bungah

H'ng said the council was concerned that this may trigger others to inflict harm on strays.

He said those who violate the Animal Welfare Act 2015 can be fined up to RM100,000 or jailed for up to three years, or both, if convicted.

Penang DVS regulatory department head Dr Tishrin Mohd Ismail said investigators had scoured the scene for evidence but found no traces of poison.

"We received a report of the incident on July 10 and found no poison or contamination at the scene.

"Residents and security guards in the area found no suspicious activity that could have led to the incident.

"We returned on Sunday (July 14) to retrieve a dog carcass for necropsy but its owner had already cremated it," she said.

Dr Tishrin said investigators also tried to check on the claim of between 20 and 30 dogs in the area going missing but found no indication of this.

She added that without the animal carcasses, DVS could not determine the cause of death.

It was reported that 27 dogs, mostly trap-neuter-release strays and a pet husky, in the Tanjung Bungah area were believed to have been poisoned over the past week.

Dead birds were said to have been found in the area as well.