Srinagar, Feb 8: Srinagar’s dog scare has “infiltrated” on the Facebook walls with Divisional Commissioner, Dr Asgar Hassan Samoon taking lead to post his observations on the canine menace saying it needs an immediate check.
 “Large packs of stray dogs move on Sgr city roads,” the Dr Samoon wrote in the typical net lingo while asking his OSD, Aamir Ali to call a meeting of Srinagar Municipal Corporation(SMC) and other concerned organizations.
 The Divisional Commissioner’s post titled Stray Dog Menace in Srinagar triggered an instant debate among the netizens –making it spread like wildfire across the social networking site.
 As for Dr Samoon, he even shared his experience in tackling the dog menace.
 It started with his ironical comment: “The paradox is that I have been made a member of Animal Welfare Board of India whose mandate is to prevent cruelty to animals. We have our own PCA(Prevention against Cruelty to Animals) Act like the Central Act.”

DOG DEALING EXPERIENCE
 Sharing his decade old experience as Commissioner SMC, Dr Samoon said that time a dog eradication had to be given up following some media reports which prompted Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) to obstruct the civic body move.
 “Last I was posted as Commissioner SMC in 99-2001, a dog euthanasia drive done by SMC was reported in national and regional press and we received notices from AWBI,” he writes adding that thereafter he came up with an alternative.
 “Then I started SPCA and ABC  (Animal Birth Control) prog at Tengpora with a small investment. I trained some Safaiwalas to catch dogs for sterilization mostly males on small scale; provided them surgical equipment, dog catching van and an ambulance. The procedure was little cumbersome… it was abandoned after I left,” he adds.

‘EASY NOW’
 The Divisional Commissioner says the dog sterilization for now has gone easy.
 “Now we have easy and quick methods of surgery. Some Veterinary college students and staff are volunteering for laparoscopy,” he adds.
 “SMC has a plan for infrastructure upgradation which I support for state government funding and even by AWBI.”

THE REACTION
 The dog postings got rapid fire comments with one of the netizens saying: “Finally we have an administrator who understands the difficulties... We have made it compulsory to send one of male persons out with kids going to school just for the reason that dogs don’t bite them.”
 Reacts Dr Samoon: “True my heart goes for the young boy we lost recently in Uri due to dog bite. I agree all rabid dogs or those suspect be put to rest. Rest of stray population needs to be sterilized and scavenging minimized by SMC and other local bodies by better disposal of waste.”

THE FAD TREND
 Pertinently, for quite sometime, the web posts of high profile people have been making to news headlines. During the past summer unrest, it was Cabinet Minister, Agha Syed Ruhullah Mehdi contradicting his colleagues’ stand over ban on Press TV, while in the latest it was Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah posting tweets to condemn the Handwara killing.

THE BOTTOMLINE
 After Dr Samoon’s posts, the fad wall of a top vet hailing from south City, went hot. He pitched some measures to check the dog menace.
 “The dog menace in Srinagar needs multi pronged attack to fight it: 1. Outsource the work of ABC to NGOs 2. Stop throwing food leftovers on roads n lanes. 3. Use R&D to use laser tech to sterilize dogs. 4. Exterminate rabid dogs n suspects on priority. 5 Arrange vaccination of stray dogs against Rabies.”
 Ironically, while his posting attracted some 75 comments till now, many of them support his one-liner, in the lighter veins. His last option, the faux-pas: “Arrange export of healthy dogs to outside state through a special goods train.”

Alarming, 1 lakh and growing...
FOR the past four years, the SMC admits that the stray dog population has reached alarming proportions with over one lakh and growing canines on prowl. Still the corporation has failed to act.
 Since 2008, the corporation has given up the dog poisoning. For now it plans to opt for sterilization of the stray pack.
 But observers say the sterilization of the dogs won’t be of much benefit due to its slow execution.
 Given the “complications” attached to the proposed sterilization, observers say no more than 30 dogs could be sterilized a day, which means a maximum of 10000 dogs could be sterilized in a year.
 “By the time ten dogs will be sterilized, a hundred more will be produced,” says Dr Muhammad Salim Khan, Member, Association for Prevention & Control of Rabies in India.
 Moreover, as compared to poisoning which costs 50 odd rupees to get rid of the dog (including carcass transportation and burial), the sterilization costs around 10 times more.
 A study in 2009 revealed that the dogs could outnumber 1.4 million Srinagarites in four years should the government fail in immediate measures to counter the menace.
“Last I was posted as Commissioner SMC in 99-2001, a dog euthanasia drive done by SMC was reported in national and regional press and we received notices from AWBI... Then I started SPCA and ABC prog at Tengpora with a small investment. I trained some Safaiwalas to catch dogs for sterilization mostly males on small scale. It was abandoned after I left”

Lastupdate on : Tue, 8 Feb 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 8 Feb 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 9 Feb 2011 00:00:00 IST