GETTING TOUGH: They will also face higher fines under proposed amendments
Dog Owner, James Oh (left) with certificate during Canine Sport Club Graduation day at Central Park, Bandar Utama
PETALING JAYA: PET abusers, be warned! You may find yourselves confined in a "kennel" of a different kind -- the prison -- under a proposed amendment to the Animal Act 1953 (Revised 2006).
This is the penalty which awaits pet abusers under the proposal, said Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Chua Tee Yong, adding that they could also be slapped with a higher fine.
He said the ministry would consult the relevant parties, including non-governmental organisations, industry players and the public to get their input before a final decision was made on the proposal.
Chua noted that the current act was insufficient to meet the requirement of animal welfare due to the current times and lifestyles of the pet owners.
"We will include a lot of things which are not in the Animal Welfare 1953 Act as times have changed.
"More requirement and a new lifestyle of the pet owners also need to be taken into consideration, especially involving animal abuse.
"As for now, we are looking to increase the current penalty for pet abuse, from RM200 to RM50,000.
"It must include the jail term meted out by the court."
The deputy minister was speaking to reporters after officiating the 10th Graduation Ceremony of Canine Obedience Training at the Central Park Bandar Utama here yesterday.
The outdoor community project on dog obedience and agility training programme was organised by the Malaysian National Animal Welfare Foundation to nurture and develop human-animal bonds.
Chua said the ministry would also be coming up with few initiatives to develop a caring society towards animals, including introducing the Animal Welfare Guidelines for pets and livestocks owners to assist them with the best practices on handling pets and livestock.
The ministry was also looking at developing an accreditation system in terms of animal welfare for pet shops and breeding centres, he said. Bernama
Post time 13-6-2012 12:36 PM
