Darting menacing mutts with tranquilisers is one of the new methods that should be considered to tackle the long-running community crisis, it has been suggested.
Large numbers of desert dogs are roaming around Salman Town and the issue has prompted the area councillor to demand alternative solutions for the problem he claims is plaguing the Northern Governorate.
Councillor Mohammed Al Dossari, who represents Northern Governorate Constituency three (Budaiaya, Jasra and Hamala’s Coast) said that a Bahraini out exercising was chased by a pack of strays on Block 581 Walkway in Salman Town.
He told the GDN that he receives multiple complaints on a daily basis from residents regarding the increased numbers of wild dogs, damage to property and overall fear in the community.
“The man who was chased while on the walkway was just jogging and minding his own business,” Mr Al Dossari told the GDN yesterday. “If it wasn’t for the grace of God and passers-by coming to his aid the incident could have had serious consequences.
“The dogs are increasing in numbers and that’s evident by the number of puppies we see all over Salman Town. Their loud barking has also become a nuisance for residents.
“There are people travelling to the area and leaving food out for the animals. The disastrous consequences include rodent infestation, an increase in the number of strays and an unhygienic environment.”
According to Mr Al Dossari, the traditional Catch-Neuter-Release method appears to be no longer sustainable as ‘stray dogs are smart and figured out the traps’.
The GDN previously reported that the current system of dealing with the controversial issue involves security teams, in co-ordination with residents, capturing, neutering and then releasing the animals in Askar.
“There are innovative methods of capturing stray dogs that have been successfully implemented in Egypt such as darting the dogs using tranquilisers which make them easier to catch,” added Mr Al Dossari. “There are other modern and humane techniques and we should look at adopting.
“One company tendered to deal with this issue isn’t enough as they only have three vehicles for all four governorates, in addition to one emergency vehicle, which is nowhere near enough to cover all the areas.
“The dogs in Salman Town have chased people and we shouldn’t wait for someone to be seriously injured before we take action.
“We were told by officials that a shelter would be set up for the stray animals but it hasn’t seen the light of day and we’re tired of empty promises, obsolete methods of operation and unsustainable solutions.”
The GDN previously reported that plans to open Bahrain’s first public pet park offering a ‘home’ for stray dogs in Askar have been pushed back until next year.
reem@gdnmedia.bh
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