Animal rights activists have proposed that the government makes it mandatory to ensure more responsible pet ownership over pet liability insurance, saying that it will be more effective in preventing future dog attacks.
They pointed out that insurance would only unnecessarily increase the burden on responsible pet owners and rescuers.
Stray Animal Foundation Malaysia (SAFM) president Kalaivanan Ravichandran said that while well-intentioned, the proposal does not address the root cause of animal attacks. He cited issues such as pet overpopulation, irresponsible breeding, and the lack of owner education.
“Insurance may ensure that victims are compensated, but it won’t stop future attacks,” he told FMT.
“The government should address the causes through mandatory spaying and neutering, proper training and better owner awareness,” he added.
Global Human Rights Federation president Shashi Kumar, who runs a shelter for more than 1,250 dogs, said the insurance premium would come up to RM500 to RM800 per year for each animal.
He said this would have a major impact on shelter operators, as well as pet owners among the middle class and B40 group.
“Many people have already abandoned their pets because they can’t afford the costs of keeping them. This will only worsen the situation and make adoptions less appealing,” he added.
Shashi said the government should, instead, focus on creating a proper framework for teaching responsible dog management.
“To this day, there’s no consistent educational effort to teach people how to handle dogs and teach them how to socialise,” he said.
Housing and local government minister Nga Kor Ming had recently told the Dewan Rakyat that a proposal by Hulu Selangor MP Hasnizan Harun to make pet liability insurance mandatory would be referred to local councils for consideration.
Hasnizan said his proposal was aimed at addressing the growing issue of dog attacks, whether involving strays or pets.
In early September, a six-year-old boy was mauled by a stray dog in Cheras. A video of the attack later went viral on social media.
Cause of dog attacks
Shashi said that in most attacks, aggression on the part of the animal is provoked rather than unprompted.
“We’ve seen people shout at, chase or throw objects at dogs — and when the dogs defend themselves, they’re blamed. Dogs react out of fear and self-preservation, not malice.
“Introduce awareness programmes in schools to teach empathy and responsible behaviour. People need to understand that dogs aren’t a threat — they react out of fear when they feel unsafe.
“Empathy and awareness will prevent more attacks than insurance ever could,” he said.
Animal rights lawyer and Pertubuhan Pelindung Khazanah Alam (Peka) president Rajesh Nagarajan said that while promoting insurance for dog ownership was commendable, the proposal was impractical and risked worsening enforcement issues.
“Most local councils already struggle to enforce existing animal licensing laws due to limited manpower and funding.
“Adding a complicated insurance verification system will overstretch their resources and lead to inconsistent or even biased enforcement,” he said.
Rajesh said effective reform should focus on strengthening enforcement under the Animal Welfare Act 2015, introducing a national pet registration system, and expanding neutering and education programmes to reduce risk.
