http://oheraldo.in/node/11075
Dog menace in Goa Tony Pinto, Aldona The recent suspected cases of the bird flu virus in the country has sent alarm bells ringing country wide, and the sale of chickens has been reduced to a trickle. Yet a bigger menace is on our door steps, stray dogs roaming freely in every village and town in Goa and the Panchayts appear to view the problem as of no consequence. On a recent visit to Colva beach I was appalled to notice packs of stray dogs on the beach looking for scraps and fighting among themselves. Some were waiwed and others, too weak and amaciated to move about, would be happy to be put out of their misery. In addition, in the villages particularly, barking dogs cause sleepless nights. The mortality rate for the bird flu victims is 2.7%, while the mortality rate for rabies caused by dogs is 100%. This is an accident waiting to happen. Children are particularly vulnerable. And should rabies spread the country is ill-equipped to deadl with it, with disastrous consequence. The usual practice in foreign countries is to place them in dog pounds where they are fed and properly looked after, some eventually find owners. If the Panchayats in their wisdom think that stray dogs are part of the community they should round them up and feed them properly and treat them humanly. Wake up to the problem before it is too late. -- TUMCHER AXIRVAD ASSUM; DEV BOREM KORUM. Gabe Menezes. London, England
