|
Thursday, November 17, 2005
To fight disease, Tom proposes shooting stray dogs inside SRP
TO FIGHT bird flu, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña will put to use newly purchased shotguns to kill all dogs straying into the South Reclamation Project (SRP).
It may be hard to see the connection between bird flu and stray dogs, but the mayor explained how dogs can get sick.
He said many birds visit the SRP, particularly the unfilled Pond A, that it has become a potential risk area for bird flu.
Bird watchers Sun.Star Cebu interviewed last April noted at least 400 black-headed gulls there.
Dogs are also aplenty there that when a bird dies, Osmeña said the dogs are the first ones to notice.
The dogs will end up eating the carcasses, contaminating themselves. The dogs will also contaminate others and eventually humans, especially those who eat dog meat.
However, no case of bird flu has been reported in Cebu or in the country. Health and agriculture officials are on alert, though, because the disease, which usually only afflicts birds, have caused the death of more than 40 people in Vietnam.
Cases of bird flu among humans were also reported in China, Indonesia and Thailand.
The mayor even joked that members of the Presidential Security Group, non-Cebuanos guarding the Malacañang sa Sugbo at Aduana, would be among the first victims because they love dog meat.
Some regions in Luzon consider dog meat a delicacy.
“This is a warning to Mambaling (residents). If you want to see your dogs (still) running around, then don’t let your dogs go to the SRP,” he said.
To prevent the dogs from eating the birds, he said the City will have to make use of the 20-gauge shotguns City Hall purchased.
The firearms will arrive next week and the City is already preparing the required papers.
He earlier said that City Hall employees who wanted to learn how to use firearms will be given the shotguns.
With his plan, the employees may have to use fleeing dogs as targets.
Told that animal rights advocates might rally against him, the mayor said he has no choice.
“I know. (But) it’s very hard to run after them (dogs) there,” he said. (RHM)
(November 17, 2005 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here.
|
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
SUPERBALITA
WEEKEND
|
