{
  "id": 6860831,
  "title": "Kenal pasti ‘hotspot’ anjing liar elak kanak-kanak jadi mangsa, kata Suhakam",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/kenal-pasti-hotspot-anjing-liar-elak-kanak-kanak-jadi-mangsa-kata",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-12T03:41:29.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/bahasa/tempatan/2026/09/12/kenal-pasti-hotspot-anjing-liar-elak-kanak-kanak-jadi-mangsa-kata-suhakam"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Suhakam Children's Representative has urged local authorities to identify 'hotspots' of roaming dogs that frequently attract children, in order to prevent attacks on the young. These hotspots include schools, kindergartens and play centers, recreational parks, public housing projects and suburban areas, pedestrian and bike paths to schools, bus stops and locations that often receive reports of stray or aggressive dogs. They have also called for clearer and risk-based response standards to be set by the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, state governments and the Veterinary Services Department, including prioritizing clusters of aggressive dogs or dogs around homes, setting operation procedures and clear follow-up mechanisms, and strengthening national data collection on dog attacks involving children. This comes after a two-year-old girl suffered serious head and face injuries after allegedly being attacked by five stray dogs near her home in Sungai Kelambu, Johor on September 5th. The Children's Representative noted that such incidents should not be considered isolated cases, as there have been several reports of children attacked or bitten by roaming or stray dogs since 2023. They also referenced a case where a young boy was almost hit by a car while being chased by a stray dog in Sitiawan in 2024. Children have the right to grow up, play, walk and go to school in a safe environment free from preventable risks, they emphasized, noting that young children are particularly vulnerable due to their physical size and limited self-protection abilities. They stressed the importance of safety education for children, parents, school authorities and childcare center managers, including guidelines on avoiding aggressive animals and seeking immediate medical attention after being bitten. However, they stressed that safety education cannot substitute the responsibility to manage public safety risks known to authorities. Young children should not have to avoid playing outdoors, at play centers or going to school simply because of known preventable risks from roaming dogs. When the risk to children is known and preventable, we cannot wait for another tragedy to occur before taking action. Managing stray and aggressive dogs is not only a pet management issue, when children are at risk, it is a child safety and welfare issue. They urged the government to act with humanity and uphold the 2015 Animal Welfare Act, as protecting children and animal welfare must be pursued together.",
  "summary": "Pesuruhjaya Kanak-kanak berkata keselamatan kanak-kanak perlu diutamakan dan memastikan tindakan berperikemanusiaan dan ikut undang-undang terhadap anjing liar.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Kenal pasti ‘hotspot’ anjing liar elak kanak-kanak jadi mangsa, kata Suhakam",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/kenal-pasti-hotspot-anjing-liar-elak-kanak-kanak-jadi-mangsa-kata-6861417",
        "published": "2026-09-12T03:41:29.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}