There’s a saying ‘There are no bad dogs, only bad owners’, as owners are responsible for training their dogs not to attack people unless necessary.
But, what happens if a dog owner suddenly chooses not to acknowledge their dog as their own?
The Malaysia Animal Association recently took to their Facebook page to share how a 13-year-old boy had been severely attacked by a dog whose owner refused to admit that they owned the dog.
Malaysia Animal Association wrote, “This is the latest case of a pet dog attack in our country. Cases of dog attacks are frequent now. The severely injured victim was unable to take any legal action or claim for damages because the owner did not want to admit that the dog that attacked (the victim) was theirs.”
“The victim was severely injured and (the wound) on his buttocks had rotted, and had to be amputated by a doctor.”
They then pointed out the importance of mandatory courses for dog owners before allowing for pet licenses.
“Local authorities should have started requiring dog owners to take 2 mandatory courses, namely the Good Canine Citizen Course and the Dog Handling Course as a licencing procedure for keeping dogs with discipline and knowledge, in order to be able to protect their dogs and their neighbours from attacks by dogs under their care,”
“The 2 courses are not only for controlled breeds but involve a widespread of mongrel dogs,” they explained.
The dog owner later admitted that the dog was theirs
In a twist of events, the owner of the dog who attacked the 13-year-old boy later admitted the dog belonged to them after the local authorities had seized the dog.
“The owner of the dog initially did not admit that the dog belonged to them but after the dog was seized by local authorities, the owner finally came to claim their dog as they believed it would be a pity for the dog to be put down by the local authorities,”
“Existing animal laws need to be strengthened so that justice for animals and justice for humans can be perfectly implemented,” they added.
What do you think about this? Do feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section.
Also read: Chinese Tourist Files Report Against Penang Orchard Owner After His Dog Bit Her During Durian Buffet
