Lusaka City Council((LCC) Acting Pest Control Superintendent Christopher Mulenga has disclosed that his department has killed over 70 stray dogs in Lusaka’s Mtendere and Chilenje townships from the time the operation kicked off this month.
Mr. Mulenga said the Council embarked on a sensitization programme educating residents on the need to vaccinate and tie their dogs before the killing exercise started.
He said this yesterday during a vicious dog killing exercise found moving uselessly in Compounds and townships in Chilenje Township in Lusaka.
Mr Mulenga said according the laws of Zambia Cap 247, the Council is mandated to slaughter any stray dog to safeguard the lives of the public.
He said there has been a lot of stray dogs moving in residential areas spreading rabies, a killer disease which has claimed many lives.
“We won’t relent killing un vaccinated dogs. Furthermore, the Council will also kill stray dogs found moving around compounds and townships”, Mr. Mulenga warned.
He disclosed that the exercise started from Mtendere township before it was extended to Chilenje.
Mr Mulenga warned that the Council will not spare any unvaccinated and stray dog in Lusaka and other parts of the country.
He advised residents to tie and take their dogs for vaccination to avoid losing their animals as well as curbing the spread of the dreaded disease from spreading.
And Lusaka City Council Public Relations Officer Brenda Katongola said the council will not relent but will go flat out killing unvaccinated and all those dogs moving anyhow in townships and Compounds.
Ms Katongola said from time immemorial, the council has been killing any stray dog as mandated by the laws of Zambia.
She said the programme of slaughtering stray dogs is ongoing and that the council will not relent executing their noble role.
Ms Katongola stated that people do not want to heed to the advice from the council to be responsible citizens.
But a Chilenje resident Lemmy Mushosha appealed to the Lusaka City Council to find another way of executing the law regarding the killing of stray and unvaccinated dogs in townships.
Mr Mushosha said it is traumatizing and disturbing to kill dogs using guns in places where there a lot of people and children.
He said residents do not have any problem with the law but that the manner in which they are killed is what a matter of concern to the public.
He also appealed to residents to learn to take their dogs for vaccinating to avoid un necessary outbreak of diseases such as rabies.
Lusaka city council please visit the area behind Zamtel flats in Kabulonga. The national housing area is infested with a lot of stray dogs.
Bravo Ba LCC.. there are a lot of stray unvaccinated dogs in townships especially compounds where they are biting people especially children. One such area is N’gombe compound near Big Elephant. Please ba Council, extend your program to this area. When you try to advise the owners of these dogs..you end up being insulted.
Rather than executing the dogs in full view of the public can’t they tranquilize them, carry them away and put them down elsewhere away from the public. Shooting these animals in public is so inhumane and can be traumatizing to both adults and children.
I would rather watch a dog being shot than have it bit me or my kids. Which is better getting rabies or traumatized ( assuming any Zambia is capable of trauma seeing how we kill chickens, Goats pigs all the time for food). Also tranquilizers cost money, I thought we just spent there days complaining about Lungu wasting $300,000 on a Chartered plane.
I totally agree with you kci, my son was once bitten by a dog, thus I would rather have them killed in whichever manner! Besides the drug is too costly! What trauma are we talking about here in Zambia? Some of these things like trauma fyaba sungu uko kufyalo fyabo.
Just feed them to the chinese
You call 70 as a big number? You have not visited Mongu yet! Please agitate this sleeping council here in Mongu to kill the stray dogs. In compunds like Mulambwa, Yeta, Helen and worse still Kapulanga, there are a lot of stray dogs. Mongu Council please wake up and save us from these rabids dogs!
Please let that exercise be extended to Matero as well. So may sick dogs roaming around the streets of Matero. My daughter was almost killed the other day by these very stray dogs she was only saved by some good samaritans who managed to fight off the dogs from her. And the owner very unfriendly. Matero Chalimbana rd to precisely.