Police Confirm Ownerless Stray Behind Cheras Child Attack
The incident, which left the child with head injuries and torn skin, was captured on video and went viral on social media, leading to renewed calls for better stray dog management in Malaysia.
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Police have confirmed the dog that severely injured a five-year-old boy in a Cheras housing estate was a stray with no owner, following checks by the Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj).
Kajang District Police Chief Assistant Commissioner Naazron Abdul Yusof said investigations determined the attacking dog was ownerless, adding another dimension to Malaysia’s ongoing stray dog crisis.
The confirmation comes as the victim’s older brother, Surya Arifin, 20, alleged the dog and two others had been terrorising residents for weeks before Wednesday’s attack, hiding under parked cars in their neighbourhood and frequently chasing anyone who passed by.
The dog would always chase people, to the point where some neighbours were afraid to leave their homes, Surya said.
There were residents who had been chased before, but the dog never bit anyone. Unfortunately, my brother became the first victim.
Attack Happened Without Warning
Surya described how the attack unfolded suddenly while his younger brother was cycling with friends.
The dog, hidden beneath a car, suddenly emerged and pounced on the child’s head.
“My brother didn’t see the dog because the car was low. It just came out and attacked immediately. His friends screamed his name. Thankfully, someone helped at that moment,” Surya recounted.
I rushed out of the house after hearing the screaming and found him running toward our house, covered in blood.
Surya immediately called for an ambulance and took his brother to a nearby clinic for initial treatment before paramedics arrived to transport him to Kajang Hospital.
The child is now in stable condition, receiving treatment at Putrajaya Hospital.
No Provocation, Family Says
Surya firmly denied suggestions that his brother had provoked the animal.
When it happened, the dog was hiding under the car while his brother was playing with bicycles with his friends.
They didn’t realise the dog was there.
My brother is only five years old – how would he dare to disturb a dog? His friends also said they really didn’t disturb it. The attack happened suddenly, maybe because of the bicycle noise.
Social Media Outcry Highlights Malaysia’s Stray Dog Crisis
The incident went viral on social media, showing the child struggling with the dog before managing to escape.
Images also circulated showing the victim covered in blood with torn skin on his head.
The case has reignited debate about stray dog management in urban areas, with animal welfare groups and residents calling for more effective population control measures beyond the current catch-and-kill approach.
According to reports, Malaysia receives over 30,000 complaints annually about dog disturbances and attacks reported to authorities.
READ MORE: [Watch] Good Samaritans Feed Stray Dogs Healing Rice Meals On Banana Leaves
Parts of this story have been sourced from Sinar Harian.
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