The warnings from Shah Alam dog owners that they would boycott a crucial city council committee meeting tomorrow to scrutinise its controversial dog-licensing regulations has prompted the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) to urge them otherwise.

DVS deputy director-general II Dr Abdul Aziz Jamaluddin warned that any move to snub the meeting with the Shah Alam city council (MBSA) and other government officials would be to the dog owners' own loss.

"If they boycott, there would be less people. If (MBSA) makes a decision, habis (it's over!). The council can easily make a decision without the presence of these people. They must attend," said Abdul Aziz when contacted.

Saying he was just as concerned over the controversial regulations, Abdul Aziz added that the issue could be resolved if those who were invited worked together with the authorities.

"We will definitely have to work (together). I don't think it's that complicated an issue. Ask them to attend and speak the truth," he said.

Abdul Aziz was responding to talks that Shah Alam residents and their representatives would boycott a meeting scheduled tomorrow that is meant to peruse dog license regulations detractors say infringe on their rights by making it harder to obtain dog licenses.

Rottweiler an issue

Among the new controversial requirements in the pipeline is for owners to obtain permission from their immediate neighbours.

Another regulation which has got dog lovers howling in protest is the inclusion of the Rottweiler as one of the eight 'prohibited' breeds.

At a meeting last night, dog owners agreed that their representatives who are on the committee to scrutinise the regulations would not attend the meeting as the council did not seem willing to compromise.

Anthony Thanasayan, who heads the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association (Petpositive), said this was reflected in the lop-sided composition of the committee.

"Because of the composition of the people who have been invited, there are more of 'their people', non-dog owners, than dog owners," said Thanasayan.

He also said that the council had not sought the adequate participation of those who trained dogs for the disabled, while completely ignoring owners of Rottweilers.

"There are no Rottweiler owners who are going to be present, and they are talking about the banning of Rottweilers. Neither have they invited Chong Mun Lin, the representative of Shah Alam dog owners," said Thanasayan.

Francis Siva, who presides over the Independent Living and Training Centre (ILTC), said although he was appointed by MBSA to be on the committee, he has yet to decide whether he would attend tomorrow's meeting.

However, Malaysian Association for Responsible Pet Ownership (Marpo) pro tem president Dr Jon S Satyamoorthy said he would not be attending the meeting as the council did not seem willing to compromise.

Another protest

"In their faxed invitation, they sent the programme for tomorrow's meeting, and it's basically a list of those things that had already been discussed in the dialogue on Dec 20 last year," said Dr Jon.

He was referring to the discussion held less than three weeks ago between dog owners and Shah Alam deputy mayor Za'ba Che Rus over the dog-licensing regulations, which detractors said had been a futile exercise.

Instead, said Dr Jon, dog owners would be holding their own protest on Saturday morning in Shah Alam before handing over a letter on the matter to the Selangor menteri besar at his office.

Following a protest-gathering and meeting with dog owners last month, Za'ba granted that those who had dogs but had yet to acquire licenses because they did not fulfill all the conditions can apply for the permits until March this year.

"If there are a lot of applications (for new dog licences) ... we can, at the latest, issue (all) licences by February or March. For those who we have not been issued licences, we will not take action (against them)," he said.

He stressed, however, that the council has no plans to scrap the regulations completely.