Stray dogs being killed in Baghdad

[sabra]

Source: CNN

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The shotgun blast rips into the stray dog's midsection, sending it tumbling over and over. Agonizing yelps echo through the streets as it tries to reach and bite at the gaping wound. Minutes later, the dog is dead.

A few miles away, a puppy eats a piece of poisoned meat. Its body starts to twitch and spasm as the toxins kick in. It dies within 15 minutes.

The two strays were among the thousands that roam the streets of Baghdad. Authorities have been killing them since November, trying to prevent the spread of disease and attacks on residents.

The Baghdad dog-culling program comprises two vets, a council official and a police officer armed with a shotgun. The vets distribute bits of meat poisoned with strychnine. If the poison doesn't kill the dogs, the police officer steps in with the shotgun.

"I do have mercy for all animals," veterinarian Khalil Abdullah said. "But we can't vaccinate the wild animals in the street, and we don't have the means or ability to bring them all to the hospital."

...


Municipal officials said they have no other options other than killing the dogs.

"We do wish that our situation here in Baghdad would improve in general, so that we can then provide better solutions for issues like the stray dogs, so we can have the same standards as European countries," local council head Shakib Mohammed said. "But we don't even have tranquilizer guns. What you see is the best we have."

Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/02/12/baghdad.dogs/index.html

[ZombieHorde]

1. A disturbng solution. I am not a big animal guy, but killing a dog would be hard for me.

I killed a mouse last year and felt super guilty for week or two.

If the dogs are spreading disease, then I guess there may not be a better solution at this point in time in Bagdad.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

12. Muslims also consider dogs unclean which figures into this as well

[jobycom]

2. More a commentary on the deplorable conditions in Bagdad

than any type of animal rights story.

[aquart]

5. Yes.

[jody]

3. Makes sense to me, desperate times call for desperate measures. n/t

[Arkansas Granny]

4. Stray dogs that form packs can really pose a danger to humans. I would suppose

that dogs who have gotten a taste for human flesh would be even more dangerous. It's a sad situation, but I don't see that they have many choices.

[rocktivity]

6. And remember there were those who thought it was wasteful

to rescue the Katrina flooding pets?

:eyes:
rocktivity

[thereismore]

7. Stray people were killed in droves in Fallujah and elsewhere. All Saddam's fault.

:freak:

[mbee]

8. They can give them a needle, but of course,

that would be too humane!

[Liberal_in_LA]

9. so sad

[sam sarrha]

10. Rabies is endemic in the middle east, when i was in the peace corps in an Islamic republic we were

always have a walking stick in case of attack.. we were also given a Rabies shot as a booster in case we had to take the series of shots if bit.. the dogs there are in really really horrid condition. the Arabs have a saying..
"a dog and its master are both dogs" when they call someone a "dog" it is a SERIOUS insult.. it isn't a casual comment.

[undeterred]

11. How demoralizing it must be for the people who live there.

It is awful for the dogs, but probably the only solution for now.