Bivai Special Dogs (BSD), Malaysia's first and only programme to train companion and service dogs launched in 2001, is quite alarmed and concerned that our organisation was deliberately sidelined from being invited to participate in the Jan 12 meeting with the Majlis Perbandaran Shah Alam (MBSA).

This despite the fact that we have been working over the controversial MBSA dog ruling issue with the pro-tem group, the Malaysian Association for Responsible Pet Ownership (Marpo) since day one.

BSD was present at the first meeting between Deputy Datuk Bandar Che Rus, Marpo, Shah Alam pet owners and the Independent Living and Training Centre (ILTC) for the disabled.

In fact, it was BSD who brought in the ILTC to have a wider representation of disabled people and their issues. The ILTC's expertise is purely on disabled people minus the input on dog training for the disabled.

BSD, on the other hand, has been in the business of training and pairing dogs (including Rottweilers) with the physically disabled since 1996.

Despite the explicit insistence by the ILTC to the Shah Alam Municipal Council that BSD's presence at the Jan 12 meeting was invaluable not only to disabled people but also to reviewing the ban on the Rottweiler breed, the MBSA remained intransigent about not inviting BSD.

This appears to demonstate some sort of mischievous planning on their part. This is also why the ILTC decided that there was no point in attending a meeting that tried to divide the participation of disabled organisations and their contributions.

In addition to these, the fact that no Shah Alam dog owners were invited to the meeting - nor were any Rottweiler owners also called in - clearly proves that the intended discussion was nothing more than a farce and that the promises made by the MBSA to give all affected parties a serious hearing had come to nought.

If the Shah Alam authorities were truly serious about making special exemptions for disabled and elderly pet owners who depend on their dogs for special services and companionship, this was certainly not the way in going about it.

All these factors and negative attitude only demonstrates that the issue of getting Shah Alam's errant pet owners to be more responsible by the authorities is no where near fruition than when the controversy first started.

Experience has shown us that the best way to overcome and deal effectively with a problem is through self-education and a thorough understanding of an issue before one tackles it.

Nothing can be achieved through ignorance, stereotyping and irrational fear.

The writer is director and trainer of Bivai Special Dogs.