The High Court here has granted a stay of execution on the Magistrate’s Court’s decision to dispose off four dogs owned by a couple until their judicial review application is heard on July 5.
Judge Yaacob Md.Sam said the hearing was needed to establish whether the Penang Municipal Council (MPPP) was authorised by law to destroy the dogs as directed by the Balik Pulau Magistrate’s Court on April 4.
The hearing would also ascertain if MPPP revoked the dog owners’ licences of the couple in an authorised manner, he said in his oral judgment after hearing submissions for a judicial review of the Magistrate’s Court decision from counsel Jerald Gomez, who was acting for Teoh Bee Eng, 56, and her husband Joseph Teoh Boon Aun, 42, the owners, today.
Earlier, Senior Federal Counsel Zaruddin Mohd Isa had applied for an adjournment to respond formally in writing, saying it was not fair for him to do so verbally as the file was in Putrajaya but this was denied.
On April 4, the Balik Pulau Magistrate’s Court had ordered the Teohs to be fined RM8,000 for failure to affix a collar and licence on each of the dogs.
Magistrate Mohd Hidayat Wahab had also directed the four dogs belonging to them to be destroyed in an appropriate manner at the MPPP Veterinary Hospital.
The dogs are currently caged at the Penang Veterinary Department. The case came about after Sullivan Maurice, 50, an Irish national, was mauled to death by two dogs belonging to the couple at their durian farm in Teluk Bahang on Jan 9.
– Bernama
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