The Sepang District Council's six-month freeze on applications for dog licences, including renewals, has not gone down well with the Malaysian Kennel Association (MKA).

The freeze, which took effect today, is to enable a special technical committee to look into all regulations on dog rearing with a view to strengthening enforcement. It has three months to complete its task.

Council president Mohd Arif Abdul Rahman was reported to have made the decision after a committee meeting yesterday, following the recent mauling of a nine-year-old by three dogs.

MKA committee member Dr CGA Fonseka called the move unfair, saying the council should have discussed the directive with the association - a national body with global affiliation.

"We have 3,000 members and over 30,000 thousand dogs in our registration list. We hope the government and district council will include our views in future over rules relating to dogs," said Fonseka when contacted today.

"This rule is not fair to our members, some of whom have paid for dogs which are imported from Germany, Australia and Britain."

The import procedure involves paying money up front and applying for a permit before the dogs can be brought in.

Fonseka - who was not aware of the directive - said those who have already made payments to obtain pets or licences should be exempted and that all cases should be reviewed on merit.

'IC for dogs'

A Star Online report today quoted Mohd Arif as saying that it may be made mandatory for all dogs to be installed with microchips in the near future.

The chips will contain information on the dog's breed, licence number, owner's name and address, and the date of its last vaccination.

Council public relations officer Zelda Mohd Zamri told malaysiakini that "it's like an IC (identity card) for dogs...it will be read with a scanner".

Commenting on this, Fonseka said the MKA has been carrying out the implanting process for several years

"The chips can last for 15 years and need not be replaced," he said.

Fonseka further urged the authorities to involve the association in conducting training programmes for dog owners on the do's and don'ts of ownership, rearing and handling.

"We run a 'Canine Good Citizenship Programme' which is very important for dogs and owners. Laws alone cannot resolve dog-related problems. The pet industry is growing and punishing innocent dogs is like punishing the wrong people," he added.

Local authorities are increasingly contemplating controls over dog ownership. The Subang Jaya municipal council recently adopted, but has yet to enforce, a ruling for owners to get prior permission from neighbours.

In Sepang, dog-catching operations will continue but target only stray dogs. Dog owners should show the licence to enforcement personnel even if it has expired, Zelda added.

The council will also consider other measures in enforcing rules related to dog rearing, including standards for fencing.