Plight of stray dogs

Those involved in animal-wellbeing, as well as others who love, and who are dedicated to, animals, are surely worried about the latest spate of correspondence and articles in newspapers about dogs on the loose in public places - apparently stray dogs that move about in packs - which, in itself, is justifiably seen as a threat to those who meet these animals.

We have every reason to worry about this matter, because such reports are prone to move public opinion into believing that these dogs should be controlled, and that this "menace" should be removed in every possible manner.

I say it plainly: to see a pack of dogs on the loose is not amusing, certainly. In packs, dogs have the tendency of becoming vicious and dangerous to passers-by as well as other animals, namely cats.

But equally plainly do I state that to put these dogs to sleep by killing them (humane killing does not exist!) is no quick, easy and cheap answer to this problem.

People write, and complain, that animal sanctuaries and NGOs that are into animal welfare are not responding adequately to the urgent needs that come up - animals in distress or "menacing" strays. While people may sometimes, justly, feel frustrated, one has to consider the fact that as things stand now, animal sanctuaries are over-stretched in their work - they are also undermanned since they lack volunteers for the number of heads they have, and they generally have to look after themselves for finances, which are hefty.

Also, animal sanctuaries, in actual fact, are not obliged to answer our calls since they, with the exception of SPCA, are privately run.

Given this situation, may I offer some suggestions:

1. The authority /authorities in charge of that government budget towards animal welfare take/s the urgent decision to re-channel some of the funds, thus reducing some funds from the neutering programme and channelling them into the present animal sanctuaries we have, so that these can help round up these dogs and provide these animals with the shelter that they deserve and need - while at the same time removing this "menace" from our streets. If necessary, the government should provide funds for a makeshift sanctuary/ dog-pound where these animals can be put under control;

2. If there are individuals who are trying to look after dogs and cats in places considered to be unpractical - either because these individuals are using land without the necessary permissions, or for other reasons - they should be immediately helped in a practical manner to re-locate, without in any way making their "mission" impossible;

3. One needs to investigate where these dogs are coming from - dogs do not automatically sprout from nowhere, all of a sudden. One has to check whether such dogs are being set loose as packs, for some unknown purpose.

While I am all out for the neutering programme, I maintain that too many funds from those voted for animal welfare in the last budget have been dedicated towards this programme, to the detriment of equally-pressing needs existing in the animal welfare regime, particularly the running of animal sanctuaries which have been in dire straits for some time, both financially as well as in volunteers.

I hope that the people in authority are reading this appeal, and do something in order to remove these animals from the streets and have them protected and controlled within animal sanctuaries - which is the best solution to the problem.

It is for this reason that I, also, am appealing to these authorities to be practical and to respond to the urgent needs of the animal welfare people who are, after all, at the forefront in the fight in favour of animal well-being.

In this precise moment, we need to strengthen the animal sanctuaries by financially contributing that little bit more, per dog, so that stray dogs are homed and end this "inconvenience" that citizens are facing in some streets and areas.

Readers will notice that I use the words "menace" and "inconvenience" in inverted commas - meaning that I do not believe that these animals are such, in themselves.

They are merely the result of human-induced acts of cruelty and/or sheer ignorance which are, unfortunately, paid for by the poor creatures themselves.

Finally, it would not hurt the local councils' pockets if, every so often, they had to organise some fund-raising activities in favour of animal sanctuaries.

This would put these local councils in a better position to expect animal sanctuaries to round up such creatures of God.

It would be very distressing if this appeal fell on deaf ears!