LANKALIBRARY FORUM

Over 25,000 stray dogs roaming Colombo city

Colombo going to the dogs

by Franklin R. Satyapalan
20JUL2005

There were over 25,000 or more stray dogs roaming the city and unless action was taken to reduce these numbers there was a possibility the country going to the dogs, Dr. Danajaya Eleyaperuma, head of Colombo Municipal Vetinary Department , said yesterday.

The chief vetinary surgeon was answering questions on reports that about eight rabies connected deaths occured in the Colombo district during the first six months of 2005. He said the authorities had to relax the action to put these stray dogs to a sleep, over the past several years, due to lobbying and agitations by animal lovers who had even pressured political leaders.

"Unfortunately we do not have an alternative as the number of positive rabies cases had been on the increase. There were 25 positive cares of rabies in the year in 2002, 47 in 2003 and 68 in 2004, if not our aim is not destroy."

He said the council spent three to four million rupees monthly on the anti rabies programme while the outdated fine for stray dogs, under the Municipal Council ordinance, of 100 rupees was still being charged. It was reported that a person who came to Colombo and went back to his home at Nuwara Eliya had died of rabies last week, he said.

He added that according to Municipal ordinance there should be no stray animals including dogs in all public places parks thoroughfares etc. under the rabies ordinance, which states very clearly that there should be no stray animals and the dog registration ordinance requires all dogs to be registered.

"It is at a point where rabies is on the rise and the authorities have to act but when they get ready to take action, animal rights groups begin their lobbying. Since the beginning of 2005, what we are doing is to take these dogs, which we catch, to the municipal dog pound. We keep them for 24 hours and take steps to dispose them. If no one claims them within that time. Not even five percent make a claim and when claims are made we make sure that they are the real owner as we don’t advocate ad hoc release." he said