Under the Dogs Act Paragraph 60 Chapter 5(2), the Municipal Department has the right to get rid of disowned pets including stray dogs if found not wearing the metal label or badge issued by the Municipal Department upon registration.
This law has already been in force in the country for more than a decade, but has not been widely publicised.
The Municipal Department in a press release yesterday stated that it is an offence for dog owners who fail to register their dogs at the department under the Dogs Act Paragraph 60 Chapter 4 and 5, which could lead to a fine of B$250 or 14 days in prison. Subsequent offenders could face a fine of B$500 or a month in prison upon conviction.
It is also an offence for dog owners who have already registered but failed to tag the dog's collar with the metal label or badge issued by the department, and offenders face a-fine of $250 or a month in prison.
However, this law applies only if dogs are found wandering within the Municipal areas. In Bandar Seri Begawan the Municipal a1ea encompasses a strip of land half a mile wide on each side of the BSB/Tutong road extending from the boundary of the BSB Municipal Board area to the fifth milestone from BSB along the said road; a strip of land half a mile wide on each side of BSB/ Kota Batu bridle path extending from the boundary of BSB Municipal Board area to Kg Pelambayan inclusive; and a strip of land half a mile on each side of BSB/Berakas road extending from the boundary of the BSB Municipal board area to the junction of the said road with Jalan Muara.
Meanwhile in Kuala Belait, the area covers land between Sungai Bera and Sungai Belait to a distance of half a mile from the foreshore. Dogs found outside the Municipal territory are exempted from the provisions of the Act.
The Dogs Act further requires owners to properly chain or cage their pets and release them in a restricted area within the compound of the owners' houses.
The department has urged dog owners within the Municipal area to annually register their dogs of over three months old, every February 1. And registered dogs should at all times wear a special metal label or badge issued by the department. The cost for registering a dog is B$3 while each metal label or badge costs $5.
The law is also aimed at curbing stray dog bites that could result in victims contracting rabies. The issue of stray dogs has been in the news with many dog lovers calling for shelters to house the strays.-- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin
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Well, this statement is not unexpected... Though laws are known to change as society moves towards "modernity," however, it comes to things which considered to be "haram," there's no way out unles the dog lovers are willing fork out $$$ to pay for the animal shelter.
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