Dog owner to be charged with negligence

SAVAGE ATTACK: Post-mortem confirms victim died from bites to the neck




Beacon being taken away by Veterinary Services Department officers after it attacked an elderly jogger in Subang Jaya on May 8.

SUBANG JAYA: THE owner of the dog which savagely attacked and killed an elderly man  here last month will be charged  with animal negligence on Monday.

The 25-year-old female accountant will be charged at the Petaling Jaya magistrate's court.

If convicted, she can be sentenced to a jail term of up to six months and a fine not exceeding RM2,000, or both.

Subang Jaya police chief Assistant Commissioner Yahaya Ramli confirmed this latest development. He said the post-mortem report revealed that the victim, Yip Sun Wah, 74, died from dog bites to the neck.

Yip, a retired signboard maker, was jogging on the morning of May 8 when he was attacked in Jalan SS19/5B by a dog that answered to the name "Beacon".

It was reported that Beacon had broken loose from its owner's compound, ran out through the garbage chute door and attacked Yip.

Two people had come to Yip's rescue. One of them, a woman, hit the dog with an umbrella until it broke, while the other person used a stick, but the dog would not let go. Beacon only retreated after Yip stopped struggling. It was believed that Yip died at the scene.

The dog owner had a valid licence for the animal.

The dog, a cross between a miniature bull terrier and an American Staffordshire terrier, is now under the care of the Selangor Veterinary Services Department.

The incident sparked a public outcry, with many calling for stiff action to be taken against the dog owner.

The dog owner and her family visited the victim's family during his funeral to apologise and pay their last respects.