A Form One student was injured after being bitten on his left leg by a stray dog while cycling to school in Krubong last Friday.
The incident happened at about 7.20am when Muhammad Anas Fakhry Mohamad Azdly Shah, 13, was cycling with his older brother from Taman Krubong Perdana.
The brothers were reportedly chased by a pack of six to seven stray dogs as they approached a route commonly used by students as a shortcut to school.
Anas’ father, Mohamad Azdly Shah Jamaludin, 46, said his son initially did not notice the dogs as they were cycling downhill.
However, when they reached an uphill stretch, the brothers saw the animals chasing and barking at them.
“Previously, the dogs would only chase people and had never bitten anyone. But this time, one of them got closer and bit my son’s left leg while he was cycling,” he said.
The dog then reportedly chased Anas’ brother along the same route, but he managed to escape.
Mohamad Azdly said the incident had raised concerns among residents as the pack had been roaming around Taman Krubong Perdana for a long time, while the route was frequently used by schoolchildren.
“Many students have been chased by the dogs here before. We are worried that something more serious could happen, especially involving children,” he said.
He added that a doctor told him the wound was not too deep as only the dog’s upper fang had penetrated the skin.
“If the lower fang had also struck him, the injury could have been more serious,” he said.
Mohamad Azdly said the local authorities had previously taken several measures to address the stray dog problem, which had also drawn the attention of Paya Rumput assemblyman Datuk Rais Yasin.
However, efforts to catch the dogs had faced difficulties as they often disappeared whenever operations were carried out.
“I am not blaming anyone. I just hope this matter will be taken seriously before something worse happens,” he said.
Meanwhile, Melaka Historic City Council (MBMB) mayor Datuk Shadan Othman said the council had caught six stray dogs around Sekolah Kebangsaan Krubong Dua after receiving its first complaint in May.
He said an inspection on May 14 found no stray dogs in the area, after which traps were placed from May 18 to 30.
“During that period, six dogs were successfully caught. However, the operation became more difficult when some of the traps were repeatedly opened or members of the public released dogs that had been caught,” he said.
Shadan said MBMB took every complaint involving stray dogs seriously, particularly in areas frequently used by pupils and students travelling to school.
He added that monitoring would continue to ensure the safety of residents and users of the route.
