By Rosli Mansor Ahmad Razali
IPOH: Residents of RPT 10 Ulu Chepor, Chemor, have urged Manjoi assemblyman YB Hafez Sabri and the Ipoh City Council (MBI) to intervene and take immediate action on the growing number of stray dogs roaming the housing area.
The pack, which can number up to almost 10 dogs at a time, is particularly active after rain, when the animals are believed to come out in search of food by rummaging through piles of rubbish bags.
The situation has not only left rubbish scattered and forced residents to clean up the mess, but has also raised concerns about residents’ safety, particularly children playing outdoors.
A resident said the problem had become increasingly frequent in recent times and was believed to involve dogs that were initially kept by operators of a nearby quarry.
“The number of these dogs has been increasing, and they are now without owners. After it rains, they usually come out in groups looking for food.
“Sometimes, almost 10 dogs come out at once and rummage through rubbish bags, leaving waste scattered everywhere,” the resident said.
The resident said the dogs also defecated and urinated around rubbish bins and residential areas after rummaging through the garbage.
The situation, the resident added, had caused discomfort among residents as the dogs were also seen roaming freely without supervision.
“We are worried that these dogs could become aggressive towards residents, especially children playing outside.
“We are not against animals, but when their numbers continue to increase, and they start affecting the comfort and safety of residents, the problem needs to be addressed,” the resident said.
Another resident said several of the stray dogs had also entered residential compounds, particularly homes without fences or where gates were left open.
“These dogs often enter house compounds when the gates are not closed.
“Houses without fences appear to be their preferred spots to roam around and look for food,” the resident said.
Residents also urged those responsible, including operators who were believed to have previously kept the dogs, to take responsibility and ensure the animals were not left to breed and roam freely without proper control.
They also hoped Hafez would visit RPT 10 Ulu Chepor to see the situation firsthand, while urging MBI to take appropriate action to address the stray dog problem.
“We hope this matter will not be allowed to drag on. Those responsible should be more attentive because dogs left without proper care and control can cause problems for residents.
“We want immediate action to be taken before anything untoward happens,” the resident said.
