News
Strong call for sterilisation with Rs. 6m dog ‘shelter’ to be shut
The Anuradhapura Municipal Council has decided to close down a controversial dog shelter on April 15 following protests from villagers and animal rights activists over negligence resulting in the death and suffering of dozens of dogs.
The Rs. six million shelter in Anuradhapura soon to be closed. Pix by Athula Bandara
The Rs. 6 million shelter was built by the Health Ministry last year in a 4.5 acre property bordering the forest at Nellikuluma, 13km from Anuradhapura town, to provide veterinary care close for 500 strays in Anuradhapura town.
Management of the shelter was passed to the provincial health department and later to the Anuradhapura Municipal Council. In February, it was taken over by an animal welfare organisation that promised Nellikulama villagers it would sterilise, vaccinate and release the animals from the shelter by April.
“The shelter was originally built to provide vaccination, sterilisation and other veterinary care but it became a dumping ground and the authorities were not able to care for the 400 dogs that were collected there.
“When we visited the premises there were carcasses, dogs suffering from mange, ticks and 
fleas, weak ones bitten by fellow dogs,” said Champa Fernando, Secretary of the Kandy Association for Community Protection through Animal Welfare (KACPAW).
The villagers had complained large numbers of dogs barking at nights and flea infestation spreading to the neighbourhood as well.
She said 62 dogs were sterilised and vaccinated against rabies and about 30 weak dogs and dogs suffering from tick fever were brought to Kandy and Colombo for further treatment. Another set of dogs has been released after treatment.
“About 40 dogs died within several weeks. More than Rs. 500,000 was spent by animal lovers to treat these strays. We had to do our work in a hurry because the irate villagers were demanding that we close down the dump by April 10. It was an extremely difficult task to capture the dogs for treatment,” said Ms. Fernando.
She said the Health Ministry should step up its sterilisation programme with the support of the Animal Production and Health Department, the department that has the most number of veterinarians.
“The way to reduce the stray dog population is by strengthening the sterilisation programme islandwide. The average lifespan of a stray on the streets is two to three years. In order to control the strays, government veterinary surgeons need to be empowered and there is a need to have a public veterinary unit in each district. This will help to eradicate rabies by 2020,” Ms. Fernando added.
The holy city of Anuradhapura, one of the most visited tourist and pilgrimage sites for both locals and foreigners, has about 8000 strays.
“The number of dog bites in the town is increasing. The Municipal Council is ready to provide full support but both the state and provincials Health Ministries should strengthen the rabies control programme here,” Anuradhapura Municipal Council Commissioner Sampath Dharmadasa said, confirming that the dog shelter will be closed by mid-April.
Annually about Rs.1 billion is allocated to the National Anti-Rabies Programme by the Health Ministry, which also receives foreign funding and vaccination assistance. Despite plans to eradicate rabies by 2020, the country records about 2000 dog bites daily.