Dead dog afternoon

Authorities have been poisoning stray dogs to reduce their numbers.

GILGIT: Dozens of stray dogs were euthanised with poison by authorities in Gilgit, triggering a sharp reaction from environmentalists who warned of the dangers the measure presents to human life.

In Zulfiqarabad, a residential area in Gilgit where the office of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is also located, a number of dogs were found dead in the streets early Tuesday.

There were three dead dogs lying on the roadside while a few more were found in an open lot. Municipal Committee (MC) Gilgit had launched the operation as the number of stray dogs in the town had increased alarmingly, with a number of cases of attacks on animals and humans being recorded in the last two months.

Zulfiqar Ahmed, a senior official at MC Gilgit said the committee had launched a campaign four days back but said he wasn’t aware about Monday night’s operation in Zulfiqarabad.

“It might have been done by some other organisation. We have no information about it,” he said, adding that the committee’s four-day campaign against dogs had ended by February 4.

Asked how they killed stray dogs, the official replied, “With poison”. To justify the method, he said firing had been banned by the district administration under section 144 in the town which left them with only one option. He said if the government allows them to shoot dogs, they will adopt that method instead.

Khadim Hussain, an official in the EPA, said poisoning dogs wasn’t a good idea as it could harm other animals in the food chain, which will ultimately affect human health. “The poison can mix in standing water and birds and humans may come in contact with it,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 10^th, 2011.