Education, laws the answer to stray dog crisis
Hong Kong has too many dogs. The numbers speak for themselves: Of the 15,000 or so strays caught by government officers each year, 85 per cent have to be put to death because no home can be found for them. A policy to control the animal population based on euthanasia does not deal with the problem. It is costly, distressing and, given the alternatives that are available, unnecessary.
Education is at the heart of the matter. Pets are not just another consumer item like handbags or shoes. In return for the companionship and joy they bring, they have to be cared for and comforted. That responsibility is often not understood when a puppy or kitten is bought; the 11 that are abandoned each day on average attest to that.
Demand fuels supply and pet shops are only too eager to offer the exotic, cute and cuddly. There is little control of who can sell, breed and import pets. Registration and immunisation rules are in place, but enforcement is poor. Despite the round-ups and killings that cost taxpayers HK$30 million a year, stray dogs on our streets and in parks that cause a nuisance abound.
The rising number of strays caught suggests the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department's approach is flawed. There are calls by concern groups for it to improve its adoption system and co-operate with animal refuges and shelters. A 'trap, neuter and release' programme could be considered. But the most effective method surely is to restrict the breeding, sale and import of pets.
A few cities in the US have significantly cut stray numbers by banning pet shops from selling these animals.
Albuquerque in New Mexico stopped dog and cat sales in 2006 and has seen adoptions increase by 23 per cent and euthanasia fall by 35 per cent. A ban is a drastic response, but one that cannot be ignored in the face of a rising problem. Hong Kong authorities have to consider every option.
Killing animals whose only misdeed is not to have a home is cruel. Controlling population numbers at source is sensible. Better education about pets and new regulations are urgently needed.
