MELAKA – A Form One student suffered an injury to his left leg after being bitten by a stray dog while on his way to school in Krubong last Friday.
In the incident, which occurred at around 7.20am, the victim, Muhammad Anas Fakhry Mohamad Azdly Shah, 13, was said to be cycling with his brother from Taman Krubong Perdana when they were chased by a pack of six to seven stray dogs.
The victim's father, Mohamad Azdly Shah Jamaludin, 46, said his son initially did not notice the pack of dogs as they were heading downhill.
He said that upon reaching an uphill stretch, the two brothers saw the animals begin chasing and barking at them.
"All this while, the dogs had only chased them without ever biting. But this time, one of them got close enough to bite my son's left leg while he was pedalling.
"After releasing its bite, the dog also chased his brother, who was on the same path, but he managed to get away," he said.
He said the incident had caused concern as the pack of stray dogs had long been roaming around Taman Krubong Perdan and the path was frequently used by students as a shortcut to school.
"Many students have been chased by dogs in this area before. We are worried that a more serious incident could occur, especially involving children.
"The doctor said my son's wound was not too deep as he was only caught by the upper canine tooth. If it had been the lower canine, the injury could have been worse," he said.
Azdly said the local authority had previously taken several steps to address the stray dog problem in the area.
He said the issue had also drawn the attention of Paya Rumput assemblyman Datuk Rais Yasin.
However, he said efforts to catch the dogs faced challenges as the animals were often not seen during operations.
"I am not blaming any party, I just hope this matter is given serious attention before a worse incident occurs," he said.
Meanwhile, Melaka City Council (MBMB) mayor Datuk Shadan Othman said the council had caught six stray dogs around Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Krubong Dua after receiving its first complaint in May.
He said a check carried out on May 14 found no stray dogs roaming the area before traps were set from May 18 to 30.
"During that period, a total of six dogs were successfully caught.
"However, the operation became more difficult after traps that had been set were opened several times, or dogs that had been caught were released by members of the public," he said.
Shadan said MBMB took every complaint related to stray dogs seriously, particularly in areas frequently used by pupils and students on their way to school.
"Monitoring will continue to ensure the safety of residents and users of the path is always guaranteed," he said.