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India to poison stray dogs
06/03/2008 17:09 - (SA)
Hilal Achmed
Srinager - Authorities in Indian Kashmir have begun poisoning stray dogs in an anti-rabies programme that aims to kill more than 100 000 dogs in the region's main city, officials said on Thursday.
Animal rights activists called the plan illegal and cruel and said they planned to go to court in a bid to halt the poisoning.
"These dogs have become a big nuisance and they are threatening humans," said Dr Riyaz Ahmad, the Srinagar city health officer who is organising the programme.
"We have placed orders for the poison and then we will launch a large-scale drive," he said.
Rabies is rampant in India, where millions of stray dogs live on the streets and some, particularly in areas near garbage dumps or butcher shops, form dangerous feral packs that have attacked people.
India accounts for more than 60% of the estimated 35 000 annual global rabies deaths, according to the World Health Organisation.
But activists and other public health officials said the plan was extreme. They said there were only two deaths from the 1 341 dog bites reported in Srinagar last year.
"We are going to file a suit against the municipal corporation if they go ahead with this, because this poisoning drive will be against the prevention of cruelty act," said Javaid Iqbal Shah, the deputy head of the Srinagar Society to Prevent Cruelty to Animals.
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