Court orders Kluang municipal council to follow SOPs on stray dogs

The Court of Appeal has ordered the Kluang municipal council to adhere to the 2014 standard operating procedures (SOPs) for handling stray dogs and other animals. The three-member bench, led by Justice Alwi Abdul Wahab, granted an interim order preventing the council from destroying stray dogs or animals in a manner inconsistent with the housing and local government ministry's SOPs.

Lawyer Gavin Jayapal, representing the Kluang animal protection association, stated that the interim order was crucial to ensure the council follows the proper procedures when dealing with stray animals. The association had filed a judicial review application in April last year, alleging that the council had breached the SOPs by confining dogs in a single cage without food or water, and by killing and burying stray dogs alive in February last year.

The association is seeking a declaration that these acts constitute cruel and inhumane treatment, as well as a mandatory order for the council to comply with the SOPs in future operations involving stray dogs and other animals. The association has also sought damages and costs. The attorney-general is named as a respondent in the case.