Solomons to dispose of capital's stray dogs
Posted 16 April 2013, 11:02 AEST
Authorities in Solomon Islands are proposing a radical new system to rid the country's capital of stray dogs.
Under one possible plan, council workers would trap stray dogs and dump them at the city's main landfill.
The mayor of Honiara, Andrew Mua, told Radio Australia's Pacific Beat program the council is working with the Solomons government to help deal with the city's "unbearable" stray dog problem.
"Whether trapping stray dogs or killing stray dogs, they have to come up with a strategy that...would be reasonable for us to use," Mr Mua said.
He says once they have been trapped or killed they will be taken to a dump site.
The mayor says the council is anticipating a strong reaction from animal rights groups, but says there is "no choice".
"We have to get rid of the stray dogs," he said.
"There are too many stray dogs within the city."
Solomons pilots dog dump scheme
Updated 16 April 2013, 11:49 AEST
Under one plan being piloted, council workers are trapping stray dogs and dumping them at the city's main landfill.Presenter:Sam Bolitho
Speaker: Andrew Mua, mayor of Honiara
MUA:
We have given the authority to the environment department to look at
ways of how to get rid of the stray dogs within the city of Honiara.
BOLITHO: Will this plan include trapping dogs or killing stray dogs?
MUA:
Whether trapping stray dogs or killing stray dogs, they have to come
with a strategy that we think will be reasonable for us to use on stray
dogs.
BOLITHO: And once they are trapped or destroyed where will you be taking them?
MUA: We have a dump site at Ranadi, that's where we were thinking of getting those dead dogs to.
BOLITHO: And that dump site it's also close to a school there, are there any health concerns there?
MUA: I think that the way we're going to do it is to prevent any smell or anything of that sort.
BOLITHO: Are there any plans in place for exactly how you'll do that?
MUA:
That's what I said to you earlier on that we have our health
environment to look at ways how we're going to do it to get rid of these
stray dogs, that is to cover the killing of the dogs and also the
method of disposing of the stray dogs.
BOLITHO: Are you expecting a strong reaction from animal welfare groups?
MUA:
We're anticipating that there would be a strong reaction from the
animal groups to come against us but we have no choice, we have to get
rid of the stray dogs because there's too many stray dogs within the
city, and every now and then we have to pick up dead dogs along the
streets of Honiara.
BOLITHO: Can you describe for
us what it's like in Honiara? I mean there is a lot of stray dogs there,
can you tell us a bit more about it?
MUA: Yes as
we all know that dogs they have about more than five babies just about
every four months or something, and having a lot of female stray dogs
they are producing a lot of dogs that nearly outnumber the population of
Honiara.
BOLITHO: And some people also have pet dogs, is there any risk that under this plan people's pet dogs might be taken away?
MUA:
Under the city council ordinances you have to pay a set fee for your
pet, and you've got to put a tag on their necks. So any dog that is
found without a tag on the neck we know that that's a stray dog.
BOLITHO: And at the moment do many people do that?
MUA:
Not too many people, I think people are not coming forward, but as soon
as we go into this exercise I think people will come forward and say to
us I'll pay the fees, the licence fees for their pet dogs and put an
identity tag on their dogs.
BOLITHO: Is the council looking into sterilisation?
MUA: Right now people who want to sterilise their dog they have to go to the private vet to do that for themselves.
BOLITHO: When do you plan to make a final announcement on the course thaabcwire.send-mungmung.rapbt you'll take?
MUA:
As soon as the environment department comes with a plan we will put
that into the media, and give the public notice, and then after that we
will go into getting rid of these stray dogs.
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