Islandwide collection centres for dogs

Having read the protest sent by the KAPAW Secretary in the Daily News on February 22, 2011, I am impelled to add my voice to her plea against the proposed reckless initiative of officials to embark on what would probably be an orgy of futility and waste of state funds in yet another strategy to eliminate the so called stray dog menace.

It is claimed that over Rs 400 million had been provided to the Ministry to carry out an island-wide program of sterilisation of female dogs (owned or with no known owner). However, this project has not been run in a cost-efficient manner to provide sustainable results and has raised queries from the Auditor General's Department.

The public do not have access to the AG's review of such expenditure and cannot be blamed if they are barking up the wrong tree by relying on such public protests they read of in the national media.

Accordingly, I would add my endorsement to what has been written by KAPAW about the sheer waste of public funds in the abortive sterilisation exercise and the need to place the current national dog sterilization program on the right track. KAPAW has covered the main issue admirably in their criticisms and with their known expertise in the care of animal such as those targeted for protection in the shelters now proposed, the advice they offer should be taken seriously.

The point is that if the sterilisation project has been a failure (both financially and in terms of unquantified results) then the remedy is not to clutch at straws and 'hit or miss' alternatives.

The public was energised during the post- 2004 Tsunami campaigns to vaccinate stray dogs and to embark on island-wide collection and sterilisation of dogs. This was a practical and humane method of bringing about a progressive reduction of street dogs.

It was at this stage that a Draft Animal Welfare Act was also made public and activists were invited by the Law Commission to contribute their views on the revision of the statute law. For some strange reason, the new law has still to see the light of day!

Very many individuals and small groups embarked on sterilisation and vaccination projects using their own funds to supplement what was promised by the Health Ministry which was entrusted with the principal responsibility for the abovementioned islandwide program.

I myself, have been associated with some initiatives in reliance on the repeated assurances of the Ministry and its senior staff that the programs would be executed in line with our expectations. It is now a matter for deep regret that our expectations have been shattered due to what seems to be inexplicable inertia and indifference in the execution of Government programs for which scarce public funding is provided. The 'no kill' policy of the President seems to be in danger of being flouted by devious means in the guise of 'collection centres'. Animals are in peril.

Arun Tampoe

Colombo 7