ugnet_: Kampala dogs face death sentence - BBC

[Omar Kezimbira]

Last Updated: Thursday, 10 June, 2004, 13:12 GMT 14:12 UK -BBC E-mail this to a friend Printable version

Kampala dogs face death sentence

Stray dogs are killed by poisoning in Kampala Uganda's Kampala City Council is to enforce dog owners to licence their pets with ID tags. Dogs that fail to wear the ID tags will be viewed by the city's authorities as strays and impounded. Stray hounds in the capital are destroyed by the council after a certain period of time. It is hoped the new law, yet to be ratified by the Ministry of Justice, will combat the high prevalence of rabies amongst stray dogs. Painful death "The owner of any dog of six months of age and above commits an offence if such a dog does not at all times wear a badge," says a copy of the Kampala City Maintenance of Law and Order Ordinance 2004 seen by Uganda's New Vision newspaper. "The council usually kills strays by poisoning," Kampala City Council's public relations officer, Simon Muhumuza, told BBC News Online. You do not want to see a person suffering from rabies Kampala City Council's public relations officer Simon Muhumuza Owners applying for a dog licence dog will have to provide a vet's certificate proving the dog has had a rabies inoculation. "There are many strays here with rabies, it is a big problem in Kampala," confirmed Mr Muhumuza. He said there have been cases of rabies being passed to local residents through bites from infected animals. It is a painful disease characterised by muscle spasms of the throat induced by swallowing and can be fatal it not treated. "You do not want to see a person suffering from rabies," Mr Muhumuza said. E-mail this to a friend Printable version

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