BUKIT MERTAJAM: Forty cats and a dog were seized from a house in Taman Sejati here because the owner had more animals than permitted and had ignored repeated warnings.
Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP) mayor Datuk Baderul Amin Abdul Hamid said the operation saw 37 cages seized, with inspections revealing poor conditions, including a lack of food and drinking water.
“Some of the food containers were contaminated with animal urine and faeces.
“The animals are all unlicensed,” he said yesterday.
Baderul Amin said the city council had issued two notices and warnings to the owner on July 29, with instruction to reduce the number of pets.
“Although the owner initially showed compliance, subsequent monitoring found that the excessive keeping of animals was still taking place.
“Following this, the seizure was carried out in accordance with the relevant provisions and enforcement procedures,” he said.
A police report was lodged after the operation, and all 41 animals were taken to MBSP’s animal pound.
Baderul Amin said the pound served as a transit facility, with animals that remained unclaimed to be handed over to the Seberang Perai Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
“Owners have the right to claim their animals. However, one of the conditions is that the animals cannot be returned to the premises from where they were seized,” he said.
On the regulations governing animal keeping, he said each local authority had its own set of by-laws.
“The by-laws governing dogs under MBSP are the Dog Control By-Laws 1982, while the Stray Animal By-Laws 1990 cover other roaming animals,” he said.
Baderul Amin said MBSP had yet to receive other cases but would take similar enforcement action if complaints were received involving excessive animal keeping or persistent nuisance.
“If we receive complaints about keeping animals beyond the permitted limit or continued nuisance, MBSP will carry out similar enforcement action,” he said.
