Stray dog menace threaten Kurunegala

S. M. Wijayaratne Kurunegala Corr

The stray dogs menace in most parts of the Kurunegala district has posed a threat to the school children and other pedestrians. At least 30 pedestrians are bitten by stray dogs monthly. The number of victims that is increasing rapidly and the government has to spend millions of rupees to treat the victims.

In addition to that, many motor bicycle accidents too are take place on highways due to knocking down of stray dogs. R. M. Herath, a senior school principal in Kurunegala told the Daily News that many stray dogs, are found in school premises too and five primary students were bitten by stray dogs recently and all of them had to be treated for rabies.

Earlier, stray dogs were killed to solve this menace by the labourers of Department of Health Services and that method has now been done away with.

However, a senior official attached to DMO's office in Kurunegala told Daily News that a sum of 2.2 million rupees has been allocated by the Government to sterilize bitches. All PHIs in the NWP have been educated in this regard.

He said that the public is advised not to keep dogs if they are not properly cared for.

However, ministry of Health Services spends 495 million rupees annually to treat rabies patients he added.