No legal basis to involve public in dog-catching operation, says lawyer
Questions raised about whether local residents involved in the operation had been properly vetted, trained and supervised before taking part.
A lawyer argues there is no legal basis for involving ordinary residents in a stray dog-catching operation. The incident occurred when a pet dog named Rocky died after being allegedly beaten during the operation in Klang city, Malaysia. Diwhasini Gurubadzam, the lawyer representing the dog's owner, found no provisions in relevant legislation or by-laws that would permit untrained individuals to participate in such operations.
She questioned whether the involved residents had been properly vetted, trained, and supervised prior to the July 29 operation at Taman Teluk Gedung Indah. Klang mayor Hamid Hussain had claimed that 11 city enforcement personnel and 50 residents were involved, all having received prior briefings on the procedure. Diwhasini suggested potential liability for Rocky's death could extend to the involved individuals, supervising officers, and the city council itself, depending on the level of authorization, supervision, and control during the operation.
Animal rights lawyer Rajesh Nagarajan described the public involvement as "absolutely illegal" and disputed the mayor's claim of compliance with standard procedures.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
