Two men charged again with torturing dog

Two elderly men were charged again today in the Magistrate's Court here for ill-treating a dog after the Ipoh High Court deemed their earlier sentence not in accordance with the amended law.

Wong Then Yoong, 66, and Aw Soon Fatt, 65, pleaded not guilty to the charge of exercising cruelty to the animal here on Nov 11 last year.

They were sentenced to a month in jail and fined RM200 by the Magistrate's Court on Nov 29 last year after pleading guilty to committing the offence under Section 44(1) of the Animals Act 1953.

On Aug 4 this year, the Ipoh High Court ordered that they be charged again for the offence as the conviction and sentence was not in accordance with the amended Act which provides for a maximum fine of RM50,000 or one year in jail, or both, enhanced from a maximum fine of RM200 or six months in jail, or both.

Today, after the charge was read out to them in Cantonese before Magistrate Nurul Asyifa Redzuan, Wong and Aw pleaded not guilty to dragging a chained dog for a distance of 2.3 kilometres along Jalan Batu Sinar in Bandar Baru Kampar at 11 am on Nov 11 last year, thus causing the animal to undergo pain and suffering.

They were charged under Section 44 (1) (d) of the Animals Act 1953 read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Kenneth Onn appeared for the prosecution while the two men were represented by Linda Yii.

Magistrate Nurul Asyifa allowed the two men bail of RM4,000 each in one surety and set Sept 7 for mention.

-- BERNAMA