PF Mtendere Ward councillor, Benjamin Chanda, has expressed happiness with the residents who have got more than two dogs and are willingly surrendering them to the local authorities while vaccinating the remainders.
The law in the Local Government Act stipulates that one should own only two dogs and any additional one should either be destroyed or handed over to authorities.
Mr Chanda is further happy that rabies, which broke out in the area last week, would be contained soon. Rabies is a disease caused by a bite from an inoculated dog hence infecting human beings.
The councillor says the turn-out of people taking their dogs for testing and vaccination was overwhelming.
ZANIS reports that Mr Chanda was speaking in an interview in Lusaka today.
Mr Chanda could not, however, disclose the total number of dogs vaccinated so far but quickly pointed out that the exercise is on-going.
The civic leader took a swipe at some residents who are ‘shunning’ away their mongrels from being vaccinated instead of complying with the law.
“Many people have brought their dogs here at the vaccination site and the response is overwhelming. However, I would like to caution some who don’t want their dogs to be vaccinated and this is frustrating our efforts as authorities to contain the disease,” Mr Chanda said.
He disclosed that his team that comprised officials from the Veterinary Department, Lusaka City Council and the Ministry of Community Development, Mother and Child Health’s social animal unit.
The team was going round the compound sensitising people on the importance of having their mongrels inoculated while some stray ones were being shoot.
“We’re going round educating Mtendere residents about rabies and once we find sick dogs, we kill them right away. I’m happy that some dog owners are complying with the law and surrendering extra dogs to us,” he said.
Rabies broke out in Mtendere Township and a good number of stray dogs have since been killed.
Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, has put in place measures to contain the disease.
Destroying dogs?? Why waste meat when we have lots and lots of chinese in our country?
I’m just saying
its inhuman and a charge/law should be enacted not to destroy or kill stray dogs,wht we should do is to qaurtine the dogs and treat them.all animals have the right to life unless when its time to consume them.wht type of christian values do zambians adhere to.
Don’t worry they will be killed in a humane way just like they slaughter the cattle or chickens that you eat
Collect dog DNA and link it to the owners in a database. Those that abandon dogs to let them become strays must be prosecuted. Dog owners must ensure that their dogs are vaccinated periodically as per veterinary regulation. One Zambia One Nation.
Iwe wake up! What DNA are you talking about, don’t you know this is Zambia? Don’t try to be a idealist always, realism will always keep check with your sanity.
Common sense baba, common sense.
Finally planned parenthood has hit the pets section of households. There are already technologies available on the cheap to tag and track pets that would make it easier than yet another brainless initiative. You touch my four well groomed dogs you will pay dearly. Don’t generalize people’s capacities; we are not in communist times.
Misleading picture portraying a bad image of dogs.