Local councillors must take greater responsibility for urban animal management

THE viral video of a dog killed during a local council operation has understandably triggered public anger and debate. But Malaysians should look beyond the incident and ask a more fundamental question: why are local authorities still treating stray dogs as a recurring crisis instead of addressing the urban management failures that allow the problem to persist?

This is not a battle between humans and dogs. It is fundamentally an issue of urban management, responsible pet ownership and the failure of different stakeholders to work together.