GEORGE TOWN, Sept 7 — A clerk was fined RM30,000 by the Sessions Court here for animal cruelty after she admitted to neglecting two dogs, leading to the death of one of it, in March last year.

Oh Ju Lian, 40, admitted to the charge of causing unnecessary pain and suffering to the dogs that led to the death of one of the dogs while another was left malnourished and almost lifeless.

She admitted to committing the offence at a house in Tanjung Bungah at about 3pm on March 4 last year.

She was charged under Section 29 (1) (e) of the Animal Welfare Act 2015 which carries a fine of not less than RM20,000 and not more than RM100,000 or imprisonment of not more than three years or both. 

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Sessions Court judge Mazdi Abdul Hamid questioned the administrative clerk why she had left the dogs in an empty house while she lived in another place.

He then ordered her to pay a fine of RM30,000, in default of 10 months’ jail, for unreasonable treatment of the two dogs belonging to her at about 3pm on March 4 last year at a house in Tanjung Bungah here.

Oh told the court that she had left the dogs at the house with her mother-in-law to keep the latter company. 

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“My mother-in-law had tuberculosis so I had to move out with my husband and two children to avoid contracting it,” she said in between sobs. 

She claimed that after her mother-in-law passed away, she could not relocate the dogs to her new place as it was too small to accommodate two dogs.

She expressed her remorse for neglecting the dogs and asked for a lenient sentence as her salary was low and her husband has high blood pressure and diabetes.

State Veterinary department enforcement head Roziman Awang Tahrin, acting as the Deputy Public Prosecutor, pressed for a deterrent sentence to serve as an example as the case was of public interest.

“She had caused suffering and harm to two dogs that cannot speak or express their pain,” he told the court.

He said one of the dogs died while still chained up and was infested with worms while the other was severely malnourished and in a weak condition when found by the animal welfare department.

“There needs to be a proper punishment to make a clear example to the public that cruelty to animals will not be taken lightly,” he said.

He also requested that the dog, currently in the state veterinary department’s custody, be surrendered to the department under section 51 of the Animal Welfare Act.

Mazdi granted custody of the dog to the state veterinary department.