KOTA KINABALU – The high court here today granted leave to two animal activists to proceed with a judicial review filed against the Kota Kinabalu City Hall for killing stray dogs and abandoning its trap-neuter-release (TNR) policy.
Judge Datuk Ismail Brahim granted leave to both applicants, Michele Meyer and Sophia Chan Yuk Oi, today, against respondent Kota Kinabalu Mayor Datuk Noorliza Awang Alip.
Additionally, Ismail also set the case for mention to be conducted via Zoom on May 19.
In July last year, Meyer and Chan represented by counsel Marcel Jude filed the judicial review at the high court, seeking a certiorari order to quash the decision by the respondents to discontinue the TNR policy and to put down stray dogs.
In their filing sighted by The Vibes, they submitted that the city hall’s decision contravenes and breaches Sections 18 and 19 of the Animal Welfare Enactment 2015.
According to their submission, the city hall has opted to murder animals rather than invest in long-term sustainable solutions and educational programmes such as TNR, and it is evident that it is solely interested in “cleaning the streets” of the dogs.
The applicants also questioned Kota Kinabalu City Hall’s methods of putting captured stray dogs up for adoption, as there is no information shared once a dog is caught.
They added that its policy to allot two dogs per courtyard or fenced house is not effective unless enforced, and it is apparent that the city hall is not enforcing the laws set out under the 2015 enactment by not enforcing the neutering of dogs.
They stressed that the respondents’ abandoning the TNR policy – instead choosing to kill and put down healthy dogs – is unlawful and illegal.
“There is no reason or excuse or justification for the cruel actions of the respondents,” they added. – The Vibes, May 5, 2023
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