Farmer Cries As He Watched His Dogs Get Taken Away By Local Council
The local council allegedly received a complaint about the dogs, which prompted them to capture the canines.
- A farmer in Kedah was left in tears as local council officers took away his farm dogs following a complaint from someone.
- Seven dogs were seized, with the farmer required to pay RM300 per dog to secure their release, and he could not return them to the farm.
- The incident sparked widespread anger online, with many questioning the council's right to enter private land and seize the dogs.
- Local councils cannot trespass on private property without a warrant or consent, though unlicensed dogs can be impounded under the Local Government Act 1976.
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A TikTok video went viral after it showed a distressing situation involving a farmer who had to watch his farm dogs get taken away by a local council.
In the video, he could be heard telling some of his dogs to run away before the dog catchers could find them, but they stuck by their master despite his instructions.
One part of the video showed a man successfully catching one of the dogs in a net, while another clip showed a man dragging another dog out of the compound by the neck using a snare pole.
Based on user comments, the location of the incident is believed to be in Kedah. The exact date and time of the incident could not be determined.
Watch the video HERE.
Someone had allegedly complained about the dogs
Many reached out to Sabar, the owner of the dogs, to ask him for updates on the situation.
According to a comment on Sabar’s post, he said the local council was merely doing their jobs after receiving a complaint about the dogs. He added that after cooperating with the council, the dogs could be released the next day and transported to a nearby shelter.
A WhatsApp screenshot between a concerned citizen and Sabar revealed that seven of his dogs were taken, and that it cost RM300 per dog to release them.
“I have to pay for them to be released, and I can’t bring them back to the farm,” he said.
The incident sparked anger over animal cruelty and private land rights
On social media, many users expressed their anger over the treatment of the dogs in the video. Some also raised concerns about the local council being able to enter the premises and take the dogs away.
“The dogs were just guarding the farm. What did they do wrong?” one Threads user commented.
“The dogs were on the farm. The farm belongs to the farmer. The land is privately owned. The dogs were spayed and neutered. What right did the council have to capture the farmer’s dogs?” another user said.
A thin line between legal enforcement and trespassing
While it’s not clear which of the farmer’s dogs were strays and which were licenced, local councils are generally not allowed to arbitrarily trespass or use force to enter your private, gated property to catch your dogs.
However, if your dogs are unlicensed, deemed a nuisance, or suspected of breaching by-laws, they have the legal authority to enforce regulations, usually requiring police assistance or a warrant to enter.
Under the Local Government Act 1976, enforcement officers can impound dogs if local licensing laws have been breached. If the dog is unlicensed, they may view it as an unowned stray and attempt to catch it off your premises if it is wandering unleashed.
Enforcement officers do not have an automatic right to force open your gates or climb over your fences without permission to seize a dog. Lawyer-activists and federal ministries have clarified that dog-catching teams are strictly prohibited from trespassing. If they force their way in without your consent, you have the right to demand their authority cards or file a police report.
Meanwhile, under the Animal Welfare Act 2015, certified animal welfare officers can enter premises without a warrant if there is imminent threat or evidence of animal abuse. For general noise or neighbor complaints, councils must issue official compounds (fines) or notices first rather than resorting to immediate seizure.
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