Hand Over Stray Dogs To Shelters Instead Of Culling Them, Residents Urge Local Authorities
The suggestion comes as the Negeri Sembilan state government agreed to allow the culling of stray dogs in predominantly Malay-Muslim neighbourhoods.
Residents from Negeri Sembilan have proposed that stray dogs captured by local authorities be handed over to animal welfare organisations rather than immediately culled
According to Sinar Harian, this recommendation was part of a memorandum submitted to the Negeri Sembilan Chief Minister's Office on Wednesday, 21 May.
The residents from Nilai include neighbourhood watch groups, residents' associations, Parent-Teacher Associations, as well as suraus and mosques, led by Malaysian Indian Muslim Congress (KIMMA) Negeri Sembilan Youth chief Syed Alwi Syed Jaafar.
Syed Alwi said the memorandum supports the state government's broader efforts to address the growing stray dog issue, which has raised public safety concerns in residential areas.
"We presented several suggestions to the state government to manage the stray dog situation. One of them is for the state government to collaborate with animal welfare NGOs through the local authorities tasked with capturing the animals," he said.
He proposed that once stray dogs are captured, an NGO should be notified and given a three-day window to take them in. He also recommended that local councils implement a detailed schedule for dog-catching operations to ensure transparency and accountability.
Image via Sinar Harian
While the proposal aims to offer a more humane alternative to immediate culling, several animal rights advocates and legal experts have questioned the practicality of shifting that responsibility to NGOs and the public
Earlier, in response to Negeri Sembilan Chief Minister Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun's suggestion that critics of culling should stop protesting and adopt stray dogs themselves, lawyer-activist Rajesh Nagarajan of Lawyers for Animal Rights argued that managing strays is the government's responsibility.
"If there's a hole on the road, do we ask the public to repair it themselves? Then what are they paying taxes for? The menteri besar should apologise for such a nonsensical statement," he said, according to FMT.
Rajesh added that NGOs are already doing more than they are legally required to, often rescuing and rehoming dogs despite limited funding and infrastructure.
Similarly, Malaysian Animal Welfare Association (MAWA) founder S Mukunnan said the culling plan was rushed and lacked proper consultation.
He said NGOs had submitted detailed proposals — including budgets and operational plans — to humanely reduce stray populations.
"You called on NGOs to adopt the stray dogs, but why weren't the NGOs called to discuss alternative arrangements before the culling was announced?" he asked.
Mukunnan and others have reiterated calls for long-term, systemic solutions such as trap-neuter-release and manage (TNRM) programmes with proper funding and structural support, which have been successfully implemented in other countries to control stray populations humanely.
Image via Bernama/FMT
On 30 April, the Negeri Sembilan state assembly unanimously agreed to allow the culling of stray dogs in predominantly Malay-Muslim neighbourhoods, citing public safety risks
The decision has prompted a broader conversation across the country, with animal welfare groups advocating for alternative, more compassionate approaches.
Observers suggest that moving forward, a balanced and collaborative strategy is essential — one that involves local councils, NGOs, and the broader public — and aims to protect community safety while ensuring stray dogs are treated humanely.
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