30-5-2024 (KUALA LUMPUR) Desa ParkCity, known for its serene environment, beautiful greenery, and dog-friendly policy, recently became the site of a distressing incident when a four-year-old girl was bitten by an off-leash dog.
Alexandra Prabaharan took to the “Expats in Kuala Lumpur” Facebook group to recount the unfortunate event that occurred on May 27. Her daughter was bitten by a dog while they were walking in the popular park. “This incident happened earlier today, and I, unfortunately, didn’t have the foresight to get the necessary details to make a formal complaint as I was more concerned for my screaming child. But, just leaving this here as a PSA for parents with kids visiting Desa ParkCity and especially at the dog park,” she wrote.
Alexandra explained that the dog, a brown Dachshund, ran up to her daughter and bit her. When confronted, the dog’s owners nonchalantly admitted that their dog doesn’t like children. “We were in Desa ParkCity for our usual walk and stop at the dog park when a brown Dachshund aggressively came out of nowhere and bit her. I confronted the couple and they said ‘oh, yeah, my dog doesn’t like kids.’ What irresponsible owners. What was the dog doing off-leash then, in an area with many kids?”
Concerned for her daughter’s safety, Alexandra immediately took her to the hospital, where they spent three hours until nearly midnight. Her daughter now requires a series of four rabies shots as a precaution, which has added to the trauma of the incident. “Not only did it cost us 3 hours at the hospital until almost midnight, but she now has to get 4 rabies shots as a precaution over the next 2 weeks. In addition to that, she hates dogs and never wants to see one ever again,” she added.
Alexandra provided more details about her daughter’s condition. “She is physically okay except for the fear of needing 3 more rabies shots as the first one she had was painful. But, I think it’ll be the trauma that will haunt her. She’s now even more scared of dogs than she already was and I’m not sure if she can be near a dog again. I’m hopeful I can help her overcome this though.”
Alexandra criticised the dog owners for their negligence, particularly given the dog’s known aversion to children. “It was not the dog’s fault. The owners should have had him on a leash, especially if he doesn’t take well to kids and in such a public area where there are many kids around. There was a toddler nearby my daughter and if the dog had attacked him instead, it could have been his face. It’s highly irresponsible that your dog is off-leash at all, especially if it doesn’t like children,” she shared.
She acknowledged that many dog owners in Desa ParkCity act responsibly by keeping their pets on leashes and warning parents if their dogs are not good with children. “I know many good owners who keep their dogs on leashes and when we approach, they will warn us that their dog is not good with children and so we know right away to stay away,” she said.
While Alexandra was unable to get the dog owners’ details to file a police report, she plans to speak with Desa ParkCity management to address the incident and explore potential measures to prevent such occurrences in the future.
