Stray dogs menace to be addressed

Manama : Dr. Nabeel Mohammed Abdulfateh, Undersecretary for Municipal Affairs at the Ministry of works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning, has said that the ministry will take measures against the stray dogs menace in residential areas soon.

The ministry will adopt the best practices adopted around the world to address the stray dogs phenomenon. The measures will span one year during which work will be done in partnership with the private sector’s licensed veterinarian clinics to carry out the castration process on stray dogs to stop their breeding.

The ministry will bear the costs of carrying out these operations until the completion of construction of a permanent shelter for stray animals, the third phase of this plan will address the phenomenon of stray dogs. The ministry is currently preparing the terms of reference to float a public tender.

Dr. Abulfateh added that the Municipalities Affairs is continuing in cooperation with the municipal councils to spot the locations where these animals do gather in order to deal with them as per the approved plan set by the ministry in coordination with the relevant entities. An expanded meeting was held to decide on the criteria through which veterinarian clinics will be selected to carry out the castration operations on stray dogs.

He added that during this phase an intensive campaign will be launched collectively with the efforts of various entities to address and put this phenomenon to an end according to plans that observe numerous aspects and criteria. The campaign will take place in coordination with the concerned societies and organisations and stakeholders in the community who will take dogs in various areas to the veterinarian clinics with which a contract would be signed to carry out the castration operation.

Dr. Ibrahim Yousef, Acting Assistant Undersecretary for Agriculture and Head of the Team said that during this phase four field teams will be allocated five days per week to respond to the incoming notifications received by the ministry regarding the presence of stray dogs in residential areas. The teams will be increased to banish stray dogs from the various areas.

The head of the team said Thursday’s meeting will communicate with the veterinarian clinics capable of carrying out the castration operation on astray dogs to competitively negotiate to obtain the best offer for castration of dogs and to move them to other locations.

He said the surgical castration operation is the key to prevent the breeding and reproduction of dogs and to control the rate of their reproduction. The castration of dogs is considered one of the widespread operations in veterinary medicine all over the world where such phenomena are found. Some governments, shelters and organizations resort to castration of stray dogs to prevent their reproduction and dissemination in residential neighbourhoods. The castration operations will also reduce the number of stray dogs that are smashed to death in the streets on daily basis.