JOHOR BARU: Stray dog issues remain a major concern among city residents, with 2,034 strays captured by the end of June this year, according to the Johor Baru City Council (MBJB).
Mayor Datuk Mohd Hafiz Ahmad said the council captured a total of 3,014 stray dogs in its jurisdiction last year.
"As of June this year, 219 complaints about stray dogs were received, compared to 650 complaints for the whole of last year.
"The Housing and Local Government Ministry has allocated RM10,000 for the Stray Animal Management Campaign 2025 to prevent dog-related issues from becoming a public health concern," he said when launching the programme in Plentong on Sunday (July 20).
He said this year’s campaign, themed ‘Anjing Terbela, Komuniti Bahagia’, includes awareness programmes for owners and local communities, licensing advocacy, and opportunities for pet adoption.
"This approach promotes more sustainable stray dog management without compromising animal welfare, public peace, or community safety.
"Campaigns like this are crucial in preventing diseases such as rabies, leptospirosis, salmonella, and others from spreading," he added.
Mohd Hafiz said the campaign builds on the city council’s large-scale stray dog neutering programme, carried out over four sessions in collaboration with Iskandar Social Hero and Vet Partners Malaysia.
He said a total of 850 stray dogs were neutered in four phases, including 200 strays in October last year, followed by 165 in January this year, 264 in April, and 221 dogs on July 8 and 9.
He added that the campaign aims to help the public, non-governmental organisations, and stakeholders better understand the importance of sustainable stray dog population control.
"This, in turn, will reduce the risk of unwanted incidents resulting from uncontrolled stray populations," he said.
