by Sagarica Rajakarunanayake
(August 05, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) SAARC has put bureaucrats of state departments and institutions directly involved in the conference in a spin. It appears that while in the throes of preparations for the conference, the bosses of the BMICH suddenly remembered the dogs found moving in and about the gardens of the conference hall. Dogs and other species still found in urban environs tend to be taken for aliens with no right to exist among humans, particularly by state authorities, therefore, not surprisingly, the BMICH bosses with the backing of the Foreign Ministry took a firm decision to have the dogs removed from the premises of the BMICH so they will be out of sight of the distinguished visitors to SAARC.
We understand the Foreign Ministry advised by the administrators of the BMICH made a request to Dr Illeperuma, Chief Veterinary Surgeon (CVS) of the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), not only to remove the dogs but also not return them to the premises. This was notwithstanding the fact that the dogs belong to the locality, living among the communities of people around the BMICH. It is true that dog populations should be controlled particularly in public places, but it cannot be achieved overnight, and requires some long -term or at least mid-term measures to be taken.
If the administrators of the BMICH had started at least six months ago in view of SAARC, and had a few dog sterilisation programmes done targeting the dogs in the proximity of the BMICH, by now new litters could have been prevented and the dogs immunised, making them safe to be found in public places. To remove animals at the last minute prior to an event, not caring if they are destroyed is not only ‘sweeping under the carpet’, but cruelty, which is out of tune with Buddhist principles that we spout at international conferences.
We are extremely appreciative of the fact we learnt through the media that in response to the request made by the administrators of the BMICH, Dr. Illeperuma (CVS) had taken a very correct decision, strictly in accordance with the directive given by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, to stop the killing of dogs and instead to carry out alternate humane and modern strategies such as methods of dog population control and vaccination against rabies. We learnt that Dr Illeperuma had consented and taken prompt steps to seize and remove the dogs in the BMICH premises for the duration of the SAARC Summit. However, in accordance with present ‘No Kill’ policy he has stated he will not destroy the dogs but they will be returned to the locations from where they were seized. Prior to returning, the dogs will all be sterilised/neutered and vaccinated as well as treated for diseases such as mange, collared and their ears notched for future identification purposes. We are informed that in fact all this has already been done.
Moreover, the dogs seized from the BMICH and other areas for the conference are all being housed in the CMC dog pound where they are humanely treated; they are given a meal of cooked food, rice and meat or fish unlike in earlier times when dogs in the pound had offal thrown to them from the slaughter house. Females that were seized with their pups are kept in separate cages, protected from other dogs. Dr Illeperuma has followed a policy of total transparency regarding this operation, informing the media of the policy followed and action taken by him concerning dog population control for the SAARC. He has even stated that the media is welcome to visit the dog pound and see the conditions in which the dogs are kept and even watch their release back to their locations.
The dog control operation carried out by the CVS is indeed a landmark event which, we believe, could well indicate the turning point from the following of archaic and brutal policies and practices by the CMC to adopting humane and modern systems and also introducing transparency with regard to the work carried out by them.
This operation should be taken as an example to be followed by other local government authorities, whose thinking appears still to be stuck in the mire of archaic policies. But first, all the councillors of the CMC must be educated on the ‘No Kill’ policy and modern techniques of dog control and rabies eradication and prevented from blocking the implementation of these progressive measures.
- Sri Lanka Guardian
(August 05, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) SAARC has put bureaucrats of state departments and institutions directly involved in the conference in a spin. It appears that while in the throes of preparations for the conference, the bosses of the BMICH suddenly remembered the dogs found moving in and about the gardens of the conference hall. Dogs and other species still found in urban environs tend to be taken for aliens with no right to exist among humans, particularly by state authorities, therefore, not surprisingly, the BMICH bosses with the backing of the Foreign Ministry took a firm decision to have the dogs removed from the premises of the BMICH so they will be out of sight of the distinguished visitors to SAARC.
We understand the Foreign Ministry advised by the administrators of the BMICH made a request to Dr Illeperuma, Chief Veterinary Surgeon (CVS) of the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), not only to remove the dogs but also not return them to the premises. This was notwithstanding the fact that the dogs belong to the locality, living among the communities of people around the BMICH. It is true that dog populations should be controlled particularly in public places, but it cannot be achieved overnight, and requires some long -term or at least mid-term measures to be taken.
If the administrators of the BMICH had started at least six months ago in view of SAARC, and had a few dog sterilisation programmes done targeting the dogs in the proximity of the BMICH, by now new litters could have been prevented and the dogs immunised, making them safe to be found in public places. To remove animals at the last minute prior to an event, not caring if they are destroyed is not only ‘sweeping under the carpet’, but cruelty, which is out of tune with Buddhist principles that we spout at international conferences.
We are extremely appreciative of the fact we learnt through the media that in response to the request made by the administrators of the BMICH, Dr. Illeperuma (CVS) had taken a very correct decision, strictly in accordance with the directive given by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, to stop the killing of dogs and instead to carry out alternate humane and modern strategies such as methods of dog population control and vaccination against rabies. We learnt that Dr Illeperuma had consented and taken prompt steps to seize and remove the dogs in the BMICH premises for the duration of the SAARC Summit. However, in accordance with present ‘No Kill’ policy he has stated he will not destroy the dogs but they will be returned to the locations from where they were seized. Prior to returning, the dogs will all be sterilised/neutered and vaccinated as well as treated for diseases such as mange, collared and their ears notched for future identification purposes. We are informed that in fact all this has already been done.
Moreover, the dogs seized from the BMICH and other areas for the conference are all being housed in the CMC dog pound where they are humanely treated; they are given a meal of cooked food, rice and meat or fish unlike in earlier times when dogs in the pound had offal thrown to them from the slaughter house. Females that were seized with their pups are kept in separate cages, protected from other dogs. Dr Illeperuma has followed a policy of total transparency regarding this operation, informing the media of the policy followed and action taken by him concerning dog population control for the SAARC. He has even stated that the media is welcome to visit the dog pound and see the conditions in which the dogs are kept and even watch their release back to their locations.
The dog control operation carried out by the CVS is indeed a landmark event which, we believe, could well indicate the turning point from the following of archaic and brutal policies and practices by the CMC to adopting humane and modern systems and also introducing transparency with regard to the work carried out by them.
This operation should be taken as an example to be followed by other local government authorities, whose thinking appears still to be stuck in the mire of archaic policies. But first, all the councillors of the CMC must be educated on the ‘No Kill’ policy and modern techniques of dog control and rabies eradication and prevented from blocking the implementation of these progressive measures.
- Sri Lanka Guardian
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