First World Solutions In A Third World Country?
An animal rights group is urging Iraqi authorities to better ways to eliminate stray dogs after 200 of them were killed in Baghdad this week by poisoned meat and rifles. Humane Society International wants to work with Baghdad officials because their methods to curb the stray dog population are "neither humane nor have been found to provide long-term solutions to the overpopulation program,"... Baghdad authorities killed more than 200 stray dogs on Sunday, the opening day of a campaign to cull dog packs roaming the capital that was prompted by a spate of fatal attacks on residents. In its letter, the group suggests a "holistic approach" to the problem, including surgical spaying and neutering, education on the subject, legislation, dog registration and licensing programs for owned animals, and euthanasia "using humane methods and agents."
Well, whatever works. You can't have packs of dogs roaming a city. They are dangerous, and one reason we have leash laws here in the West. On the other hand, are conditions in Baghdad such that these suggestions can be implemented? First off, you'd need to fund an animal control department. Catching dogs, licensing, and so forth is a full time business. Second, you are dealing with an Islamic country where dogs are oftentimes considered unclean... at least that is true in Iran... I don't know about Iraq. Is Iraq sufficiently "westernized" to accept the changes in law and investment of money for animal welfare? I think it is worth attempting these changes and speaking up. Third world countries don't have to operate like the trash heaps of the world, especially a country like Iraq with it's huge oil reserves and buckets of money coming in.
An animal rights group is urging Iraqi authorities to better ways to eliminate stray dogs after 200 of them were killed in Baghdad this week by poisoned meat and rifles. Humane Society International wants to work with Baghdad officials because their methods to curb the stray dog population are "neither humane nor have been found to provide long-term solutions to the overpopulation program,"... Baghdad authorities killed more than 200 stray dogs on Sunday, the opening day of a campaign to cull dog packs roaming the capital that was prompted by a spate of fatal attacks on residents. In its letter, the group suggests a "holistic approach" to the problem, including surgical spaying and neutering, education on the subject, legislation, dog registration and licensing programs for owned animals, and euthanasia "using humane methods and agents."
Well, whatever works. You can't have packs of dogs roaming a city. They are dangerous, and one reason we have leash laws here in the West. On the other hand, are conditions in Baghdad such that these suggestions can be implemented? First off, you'd need to fund an animal control department. Catching dogs, licensing, and so forth is a full time business. Second, you are dealing with an Islamic country where dogs are oftentimes considered unclean... at least that is true in Iran... I don't know about Iraq. Is Iraq sufficiently "westernized" to accept the changes in law and investment of money for animal welfare? I think it is worth attempting these changes and speaking up. Third world countries don't have to operate like the trash heaps of the world, especially a country like Iraq with it's huge oil reserves and buckets of money coming in.
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