Baghdad kills 58,000 stray dogs in 3-month span

[S_O_C_O_M]

Baghdad kills 58,000 stray dogs in 3-month span​

by BUSHRA JUHI
Associated Press Writer

updated 7/10/2010 12:13:25 PM ET

BAGHDAD — Teams of veterinarians and police shooters have killed some 58,000 stray dogs in and around the Iraqi capital over the past three months as part of a campaign to curb an increasing number of strays blamed for attacks on residents.

The Baghdad provincial government said in a statement released Sunday that 20 teams have been moving around Baghdad and the outer-lying districts daily looking for and putting down the dogs. The operation, which was first announced in late 2008, only truly took off this April after funds were allocated for the project.

The surge in strays — estimated by provincial officials to number around 1.25 million — is ironically linked to what officials say is an improvement in some elements of daily life in Baghdad, a city that for seven years has been struggling to return to normalcy after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion to topple Saddam Hussein.

Officials with the provincial veterinary directorate said that with open-air markets and bustling city life returning, the dogs are able to find more food and are having bigger litters.

Figures for the number of attacks by packs of stray dogs were not available Saturday, the last day of the weekend in Iraq.

But officials said resident complaints have increased steadily in tandem with the rise in the stray population. In the capital, dogs have attacked children, in some cases killing them.

Efforts since the campaign was first announced in 2008 met with limited success because of a lack of funding and follow-through. There are not believed to be any dog shelters in Baghdad.

The teams begin their work daily at 6 a.m., and coordinate with relevant security forces in the area — ostensibly to ensure that their presence does not draw retaliatory fire by security forces who may mistake them for insurgents.

Provincial officials said before the teams move into an area, residents are also notified, and warned to not pick up meat they find on the ground because it could be the poisoned food used to lure and kill the dogs.

Under Saddam Hussein's regime, stray dogs were routinely shot. But their numbers grew steadily following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion when a host of more serious security issues sidelined efforts to deal with the dogs.

Baghdad kills 58,000 stray dogs in 3-month span - World news - Mideast/N. Africa - Conflict in Iraq - msnbc.com

 

[Frankenstein]

PETA is going to sue them all

 

[Hyde]

actually its a good thing and i would say Pakistan must also establish one task force who will actively kill all stray dogs from the streets of Pakistan. Frankly speaking i love dogs and its always good to be accompanied with them. I love playing with them but in our case (Pakistan) the dogs are biting many citizens every now and then. Trust me it is not easy to go outside after 9-10PM in the night in the streets of Pakistan when lots of dogs roaming around and trying to bite you wherever they get an opportunity.

We must also find a solution of this problem

 

[ptldM3]

City of death.

 

[Neither Right Nor Wrong]

Rather than killing the dogs..it is better to castrate them, their population will eventually come down..may take a bit longer, but is lot less cruel.

 

[Hyde]

Rather than killing the dogs..it is better to castrate them, their population will eventually come down..may take a bit longer, but is lot less cruel.

why not only catch them and keep them in safe place? - try to train them and those who are trained later sell them to the public, or at least their childrens will be better if proper training is provided, just like europe

 

[Gin ka Pakistan]

export them to Thai restaurants

 

[Neither Right Nor Wrong]

why not only catch them and keep them in safe place? - try to train them and those who are trained later sell them to the public, or at least their childrens will be better if proper training is provided, just like europe

In Iraq ??..they are finding it tough to feed their ppl ...they don't have that kind of resources.

 

[Frankenstein]

These dogs are better then the other dogs at night, if you know what I am saying

 

[Crypto]

Teams of veterinarians and police shooters have killed some 58,000 stray dogs in and around the Iraqi capital over the past three months as part of a campaign to curb an increasing number of strays blamed for attacks on residents.

The Baghdad provincial government said in a statement released Sunday that 20 teams have been moving around Baghdad and the outer-lying districts daily looking for and putting down the dogs. The operation, which was first announced in late 2008, only truly took off this April after funds were allocated for the project.

The surge in strays -- estimated by provincial officials to number around 1.25 million -- is ironically linked to what officials say is an improvement in some elements of daily life in Baghdad, a city that for seven years has been struggling to return to normalcy after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion to topple Saddam Hussein.

Officials with the provincial veterinary directorate said that with open-air markets and bustling city life returning, the dogs are able to find more food and are having bigger litters.

Figures for the number of attacks by packs of stray dogs were not available Saturday, the last day of the weekend in Iraq.

But officials said resident complaints have increased steadily in tandem with the rise in the stray population. In the capital, dogs have attacked children, in some cases killing them.

Efforts since the campaign was first announced in 2008 met with limited success because of a lack of funding and follow-through. There are not believed to be any dog shelters in Baghdad.

The teams begin their work daily at 6 a.m., and coordinate with relevant security forces in the area -- ostensibly to ensure that their presence does not draw retaliatory fire by security forces who may mistake them for insurgents.

Provincial officials said before the teams move into an area, residents are also notified, and warned to not pick up meat they find on the ground because it could be the poisoned food used to lure and kill the dogs.

Under Saddam Hussein's regime, stray dogs were routinely shot. But their numbers grew steadily following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion when a host of more serious security issues sidelined efforts to deal with the dogs.

 

[Indiarox]

I wish they did the same in Bangalore the strays are so damn annoying.

---------- Post added at 12:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:16 PM ----------

PETA is going to sue them all

To hell with PETA

 

[S_O_C_O_M]

With a cute puppy like this, I don't see why anybody would want to kill it. (Picture from careersindia.net )

 

[Spartacus_Σπάρτα&#95]

the whole iraqi system collapsed after us invasion
its all death everywhere
guess this is what usa calls freedom

God have mercy on iraq.

sadam was evil man but we need to fight evil with evil

 

[Indiarox]

With a cute puppy like this, I don't see why anybody would want to kill it. (Picture from careersindia.net )

that dog needs to meet the bullet

 

[H2O3C4Nitrogen]

Its sad that they killed em all. They could have trained them to sniff out bombs etc