The news of a toddler mauled by stray dogs in Batu Pahat is the kind that makes you horrified. It makes you angry. And in that moment, it’s very easy to demand that councils “just do something.”
If we’re honest, we’ve been there before. We get angry, councils round up dogs, and a few months later, the same complaint pops up in another neighbourhood. After decades of this, we have to ask: are we actually solving anything, or just going through the motions?
Right now, we’re treating a population problem like it’s a cleanup job but it isn’t. The evidence is right there in the endless cycle of catching and culling that never seems to end.
https://share.google/BVw0FjrnpKXfqqIwg. The Star
The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) has a pretty clear take on this. They say managing stray dogs isn’t just about removing them. It’s a whole package: responsible ownership, registration, sterilisation, vaccination, education, and enforcement. We actually have the legal tools for this, the Animal Welfare Act 2015 and the MyAnimalWelfare system exist. But they're scattered across federal agencies, local councils, and state authorities, and they’re not talking to each other properly.
That fragmentation has to stop. What Malaysia really needs is a single, serious National Dog Population Management Programme.One led by vets, not just municipal workers, and backed by health experts, universities, NGOs, religious authorities, and communities. It has to start with data. How many dogs are actually out there, where are they concentrated and what’s the sterilisation rate? Without that, we’re just guessing.
Next comes accountability. It should be normal for every pet dog to be microchipped and registered. If you abandon one, there should be consequences, because the easiest stray to manage is the one that never becomes a stray in the first place.
When we do have to catch dogs, can we at least train the people doing it properly? A "dog catcher" shouldn't be someone who just happened to draw the short straw at the town council. They should know animal behaviour, humane handling, rabies protocols, and the law. That’s basic professionalism.
Now, as we know there’s a sensitive layer here in Malaysia, a majority-Muslim country, and dogs are a complicated subject for some. That is real, and we shouldn't dismiss it. We also shouldn't let cultural discomfort justify cruelty or throw science out the window. Islam has a strong tradition of ihsan, compassion and excellence in all things and Malaysian scholars have repeatedly spoken about treating dogs humanely. Religious values and modern veterinary science don’t have to be at war, they can reinforce each other.
So let’s not fall into the trap of blaming "Muslims" or "non-Muslims.", that helps no one. The principle is actually pretty simple, protect people, protect public health, and treat animals with dignity. These aren’t competing goals.
If we want proof that a better way works, look at Bhutan. In just two years, they sterilised their entire free-roaming dog population, nationwide through a government-led, humane programme with proper funding, community involvement, and clear targets. If a small Himalayan kingdom can pull that off, surely we can too.
What that means in practice is assessing each dog individually. If it’s someone’s pet, get it home. If it’s healthy and adoptable, sterilise and vaccinate it, then find it a home. If it’s dangerous or suffering beyond help, then euthanasia by a vet might be the kindest option. The default cannot be "remove and forget." because if you take ten dogs off the street today, but ten more are born or abandoned tomorrow, you’ve achieved nothing.
We need to start measuring success differently. Not by how many dogs councils catch, but by whether the number of strays is actually going down, whether attacks are decreasing, and whether rabies risk is falling. We should report that to Parliament every year, openly, honestly, with real numbers.
This isn’t just about animals. It’s about human health too. It’s a classic One Health issue, the health of people, animals, and the environment are all tied together. That’s why WOAH puts dog population management at the heart of rabies control.
The Batu Pahat tragedy should be more than a moment of outrage. It should be the reason we finally change how we do things. We don’t need a war on dogs, and we don’t need to choose between safety and compassion.
What we need is science, accountability, and a bit of heart.
Every creature has its place, but we’re the ones with the responsibility. That means preventing abandonment, controlling breeding, vaccinating, educating, and enforcing the rules. It means protecting communities and treating animals with the decency they deserve.
After so many years of the same old cycle, we owe it to our children and to the animals, to finally ask the hard question:
Is our current system actually working?
If the answer is no, then we need to have the courage to build a better one.
K.T. Maran (maran.kt@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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