DOGS may be widely regarded as “Man’s best friend”, but to some residents of Taman Pelangi Indah in Johor Baru, they are a nuisance and terrifying menace.
In the mornings and evenings, residents who travel to and from work using Jalan Pesona are fearful because of the presence of the stray dogs.
They move in packs and are aggressive, and fight among the themselves. It can be deeply unsettling when the road that takes you home is unsafe because of stray dogs. People are apprehensive about walking around the neighbourhood alone. Joggers feel anxious when they go for their pre-dawn exercise sessions.
Now, we see people arming themselves with umbrellas or sticks for protection. I remember vividly a harrowing incident when an elderly lady was chased by five stray dogs as she was on her way home.
I have been the target of these stray dogs during my morning walks. Children who go for evening rides on their bicycles are chased by the dogs. In a recent incident, a young boy on a bicycle rammed into an oncoming car while trying to flee from a stray dog. There have been instances when the dogs chased motorcyclists, causing them to crash and injure themselves. They also chase cars.
There have been occasions when they try to enter our homes. Sometimes, they sleeping outside our homes and howl throughout the night. As a result, many students like me are unable to concentrate on our assignments and studies.
I have lost a number of my shoes, which I suspect were carried away by these canines. They are always foraging for food in the rubbish bins in front of our houses, tearing off the plastic bags containing food waste. This causes the garbage to be strewn on the roads. These dogs also defecate all over the housing area and residents have to clean up the mess.
Since the media has been highlighting the problem of rabies in certain parts of the country, it’s time the authorities do something before there is an outbreak of the disease here. I urge the Johor Baru City Council to take immediate action to get rid of these dogs before something serious happens.
CHEW YUE WEN
Johor Baru