CDGL ‘doggedly’ takes to the streets
Over 350,000 stray dogs have been killed in the past decade according to a report issued by CDGL.
LAHORE:
Over 350,000 stray dogs have been killed in the past decade according to a report issued by the City District Government of Lahore (CDGL) as part of an initiative by its Public Health Department to curb cases of rabies and other health related diseases.
According to CDGL officials, the district government has constituted two teams, which have been assigned with the task of killing stray dogs. In the last year, 27,576 stray dog killings were reported in Lahore which is a considerable increase from the 24,695 dog killings reported in 2006. The report also indicates that the lowest number of dogs killed by the municipality in 2002 (8,146) and the highest figure was 34,942 in 2005.
“Stray dogs are never vaccinated and vaccination is extremely important,” said district officer (DO) Public Health Dr Tariq Ramazan. “Dog-killings are one of the four reports we issue daily for the district coordination office (DCO).”
Dr Ramazan said that typically the teams assigned to put down stray dogs included former army sharpshooters and those who poisoned the animals. “They end up killing an average of 50 dogs a day,” he said. Currently, one of the teams has been assigned to patrol one Lahore town every day. Each team includes two shooters and four men assigned to poison the animals. Ramazan said that the other team was working round-the-clock for the Raiwand Ijtema missionaries’ convention. He said that stray dogs were more commonly spotted in lower income areas such as the Walled City.
Dr Ramazan said that the team had now been given new long-barrel shotguns so that the shooters were more efficient.
He said that the key to the success of the programme was an effective clean up operation as dog carcasses left on the road created a terrible stench and could also spread disease. “The government is now using a poison called strychnine to put the animals to sleep,” he said.
Ramazan said that public awareness needed to be raised about the issue and that anyone who was bitten by a dog should immediately be taken to a hospital. “All major hospitals now provide medical support for dog bite victims,” he said, adding that a Dog Bite Centre had recently been set up by the Institute of Public Health.
A public health official said that the CDGL needed to focus more on its clean-up operation as people often complained about the animal carcass being left on the streets. “It is the responsibility of the Solid Waste Management Department,” he said.
He also explained that the cost of running the programme had become a point of concern as the cost of bullets had recently increased. “A carton of shotgun bullets now costs Rs4,000 and this can end up costing the CDGL nearly Rs100,000 a month,” the official said.
According to Solid Waste Management district officer (DO) Rafique Jatoi, the solid waste management company has a truck dedicated to picking up dead dogs from the streets. “It is possible that we miss some of the animals but we get most of them,” he said. Jatoi said that the department buried the animals to prevent disease.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 1st, 2011.
Over 350,000 stray dogs have been killed in the past decade according to a report issued by the City District Government of Lahore (CDGL) as part of an initiative by its Public Health Department to curb cases of rabies and other health related diseases.
According to CDGL officials, the district government has constituted two teams, which have been assigned with the task of killing stray dogs. In the last year, 27,576 stray dog killings were reported in Lahore which is a considerable increase from the 24,695 dog killings reported in 2006. The report also indicates that the lowest number of dogs killed by the municipality in 2002 (8,146) and the highest figure was 34,942 in 2005.
“Stray dogs are never vaccinated and vaccination is extremely important,” said district officer (DO) Public Health Dr Tariq Ramazan. “Dog-killings are one of the four reports we issue daily for the district coordination office (DCO).”
Dr Ramazan said that typically the teams assigned to put down stray dogs included former army sharpshooters and those who poisoned the animals. “They end up killing an average of 50 dogs a day,” he said. Currently, one of the teams has been assigned to patrol one Lahore town every day. Each team includes two shooters and four men assigned to poison the animals. Ramazan said that the other team was working round-the-clock for the Raiwand Ijtema missionaries’ convention. He said that stray dogs were more commonly spotted in lower income areas such as the Walled City.
Dr Ramazan said that the team had now been given new long-barrel shotguns so that the shooters were more efficient.
He said that the key to the success of the programme was an effective clean up operation as dog carcasses left on the road created a terrible stench and could also spread disease. “The government is now using a poison called strychnine to put the animals to sleep,” he said.
Ramazan said that public awareness needed to be raised about the issue and that anyone who was bitten by a dog should immediately be taken to a hospital. “All major hospitals now provide medical support for dog bite victims,” he said, adding that a Dog Bite Centre had recently been set up by the Institute of Public Health.
A public health official said that the CDGL needed to focus more on its clean-up operation as people often complained about the animal carcass being left on the streets. “It is the responsibility of the Solid Waste Management Department,” he said.
He also explained that the cost of running the programme had become a point of concern as the cost of bullets had recently increased. “A carton of shotgun bullets now costs Rs4,000 and this can end up costing the CDGL nearly Rs100,000 a month,” the official said.
According to Solid Waste Management district officer (DO) Rafique Jatoi, the solid waste management company has a truck dedicated to picking up dead dogs from the streets. “It is possible that we miss some of the animals but we get most of them,” he said. Jatoi said that the department buried the animals to prevent disease.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 1st, 2011.