SAV Comment.
Serbia should learn from this ! – what is said is so correct.
“killing or catching and relocating dogs actually increases the risk of dog bites and the risk of the transmission of rabies. The reason is that if you move dogs out of a particular area, more dogs will ALWAYS migrate into that area, and very quickly. Because they are new to the area and unsettled, they will fight among themselves for dominance of the turf”.
“It is crucial to understand that a stable population of
sterilized, vaccinated dogs is one of the best defenses against rabies in a
rabies-endemic area”.
But Serbian authorities will not listen because they put money before animal and citizens welfare.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNa2yhC-gUw
Hello friends, received all forwarded messages from you on this crisis, hoping you received the update I just did on
http://www.vspca.org/updates/2011-06-03/
It is more for the public and it includes the video.
Thank for your activism and for writing in as below. Help Animals India is sending funds to both VSPCA and ABC India to help with this crisis.
for the animals! Eileen
———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Lisa Warden lisa.warden@gmail.com
Date: Fri, Jun 3, 2011
Subject: {FIAPO} Please protest last night’s blood bath in Kakinada
Dear friends,
We at ABC India have been contacted by eyewitnesses to a scene of carnage in
Kakinada last night. About 150-200 dogs were killed with strychnine
poisoning by rogue elements allegedly connected to the municipal corporation
and some MLAs. Please see video at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNa2yhC-gUw
The Animal Welfare Board of India was also contacted, and they have sent a
letter of protest to the authorities at Kakinada.
ABC India condemns in the strongest possible terms the illegal killing of
street dogs. Killing of dogs with poison is not only illegal in India, it is
unspeakably cruel. Furthermore, the killing of dog is absolutely
CONTRA-INDICATED, especially at a time of rabies outbreak. The presence of
vaccinated dogs is actually one of the best defenses against rabies in a
rabies-endemic area.
It is crucial at this time to remind all localities NOT to engage in
killing, catching and shifting, or dumping dogs. It has been established
that any destabilization of resident dog populations by killing or catching
and relocating dogs actually increases the risk of dog bites and the risk of
the transmission of rabies. The reason is that if you move dogs out of a
particular area, more dogs will ALWAYS migrate into that area, and very
quickly. Because they are new to the area and unsettled, they will fight
among themselves for dominance of the turf.
These fearful, unsettled dogs
are much more likely to bite local residents than dogs who have lived in the
area for some time, and people are much more likely to get bitten in the
crossfire as these dogs battle between themselves for dominance. The
practice of killing dogs puts people at higher risk of death from rabies and
as such can be considered at best criminally negligent. The persons
responsible for the killings, as well as for the coercion of children to
participate in the killings (as per eye witness accounts), must be charged
and prosecuted under the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals Act.
Contrary to popular belief, it is actually the presence of vaccinated,
healthy dogs that helps to keep rabies out. Sterilized, vaccinated, and left
to live in peace in their areas, these dogs are our partners in the fight
against rabies. Because they are territorial, they will not let new,
unfamiliar, unvaccinated dogs into their areas who might be potential
carriers of rabies. It is crucial to understand that a stable population of
sterilized, vaccinated dogs is one of the best defenses against rabies in a
rabies-endemic area. Accordingly, we recommend that a directive be issued to
all municipalities, district collectors and panchayats that dogs are not to be
killed, but rather vaccinated and sterilized. Any action that destabilizes
local dog populations increases the risk of dog bite and the transmission of
rabies and is to be avoided for that reason. Anyone found killing dogs must
be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, for by doing so not only are
they breaking the law; they are also putting the lives of local residents at
risk.
We urge you to please write urgent letters protesting last night’s dog
killings to the District Collector of Kakinada, Mr. M. Ravi Chandra, who is
also President of the Kakinada SPCA. His email id is collector_egd@ap.gov.in.
Kindly cc the AP Chief Minister’s office at cmap@ap.gov.in and the
following list of regional media contacts:
nagesh@thehindu.co.in, nageshkumars@gmail.com, sumit@thehindu.co.in, ganesh.lakshman@timesgroup.com, kingshuk.nag@timesgroup.com sushil.rao@timesgroup.com, jayanti@deccanmail.com, krishnarao@deccanmail.com
Thank you for coming to the prompt assistance of the people and dogs of Andhra Pradesh.
Kind regards,
Lisa Warden
ABC India
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