Tan will accept help if his efforts fail

A flashback of NST report on July 7.

Source: Dawn Chan (streets@nstp.com.my) 27/7/2009

Dog lover Tan Tiam Seng, who was in the news recently for having more than 15 dogs at his home in Taman Sri Segambut, has sought the help of a friend to shelter some of his pets temporarily. This followed an ultimatum for him to find new homes for the dogs or action would be taken against him as his neighbours had complained about the stench and the noise. Speaking to Streets recently, Tan, a 65-year-old retiree, said he had sought the help of a friend to temporarily place some of the two-year-old mongrels at a factory where the canines double up as guard dogs. He visits the dogs every day to make sure they are well cared for and has paid some workers to feed and bathe them. “I only have three to five dogs with me now and they are all puppies which are less than a year old. I am in the midst of finding a suitable location where I can shelterhome all of them together,” he said. Tan said he had been approached by several parties offering help with finding homes for the dogs but he would rather solve the problem himself. “I appreciate their offers but I want to try and handle it on my own first. If all else fails, then I will accept their assistance,” he said.
Meanwhile, Segambut member of parliament Lim Lip Eng, who had highlighted the residents’ complaints against Tan’s dogs, said he was leaving it to the non-governmental organisations to help Tan. He said since Streets front-paged Tan’s plight, he (Lim) had been criticised for not being sensitive. “I will let the NGOs help Tan as I believe they know how to handle the matter better. I visited Tan recently and found only three dogs in his house. Two are outside and another inside,” Lim said.
It was reported that residents had complained to Lim that apart from the noise and stench, the dogs’ faeces had also clogged up the common drains. As City Hall only permits one dog per household, Lim had advised Tan to remove his dogs in seven days. Failing which, Lim said, he would have no choice but to write to City Hall, asking for the health department’s intervention. Since Tan’s plight was highlighted, Streets had received numerous e-mail from concerned readers as well as the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association (Petpositive) with suggestions on shelters for the dogs and other assistance.