Some strays have made a name for themselves in the most unusual way.

THERE are a couple of alley cats around my home. One with orange and brown stripes, nicknamed Garfield, likes to tail passers-by.

Another cat, a white one, often loiters around the garbage site and parks itself on my doorstep.

When a cat is found wandering in the street, some kind soul would put up posters on lamp-posts to look for its owner or for someone to take it in.

An unofficial cat minder in my neighbourhood neuters and feeds strays from the donations she collects. Since she already has her own cats, she couldn’t keep a tabby cat found in a community hall. So she left it at a small park near her house. In a bid to find its owner, she placed a poster on the fence of the park, with the words: Komatte imasu! (In distress!) No one came forward to claim the cat.

Since last December, an open umbrella has been lying at the same spot in the park every morning. Later, someone would fold and hang it on a branch.

Curious, I took a closer look one morning. Snuggling under the umbrella was that homeless cat. It was scratching its fur which had lost its sheen.

Generally, the authorities discourage feeding stray cats in parks. This is to stop people from dumping their pets instead of taking them to a control centre and paying a fee to leave their pets there.

Feral dogs are captured by the local authorities under the Rabies Prevention Law. However, there is no legislation covering stray cats. The usual complaints about them are their incessant meowing and the scratches they leave on cars. There are also complaints that stray cats dig up flowerbeds, mess up garbage bins, and poo all over the place.

The sheer number of alley cats and other abandoned pets has prompted the municipal assembly of Tokyo’s Arakawa Ward to pass an ordinance banning the feeding of these animals from next month, unless they are cared for by a community and are not a nuisance to residents. Those who disregard the rule could be fined up to ¥50,000 (RM1,920).

A survey by the Environment Ministry revealed that about 350,000 abandoned pets are being put down each year at government-run control centres.

To reduce the number of unwanted animals that are being put down, several prefectural governments have set up shelters for dogs and cats, and launched pet adoption projects. However, response to the adoption of cats is poor compared to dogs.

Ironically, cat cafés have caught on as places for customers to relax and unwind while playing with the cute felines. They are particularly popular in the Tokyo metropolitan area where pet ownership is banned in many apartments.

At Calico, a cat café in Kichijoji, Tokyo, customers are charged ¥800 (RM30) for the first hour, excluding drinks. It is said to be so popular that one has to make reservations for weekends and national holidays.

Some unwanted felines are lucky. A cat, Mako, shot to stardom in May 2006 and became one of Japan’s most famous cats, thanks to a blog by Keiko Maeda who rescued her from a bankrupt animal rental agency.

A month later, Maeda launched a picture book of Mako, and sold about 80,000 copies.

Tama, another adopted stray, gained nationwide popularity after becoming the first cat to be appointed by Wakayama Electric Railway as station master of the unmanned Kishi Station in Kinokawa, Wakayama Prefecture, in January 2007. This 10-year-old tortoise-shell cat wears a station master’s cap and greets passengers. Her salary? Cat food.

Tama is a star attraction, drawing many visitors to the station. For that, she received a promotion as “Super Station master”, a decoration of “Wakayama de knight” and a new office (a converted ticket booth equipped with litter box and ventilation fan) in a ceremony attended by the railway company’s president and Wakayma’s mayor, in January 2008.

In January this year, Tama was elevated to “Operating Officer” for her contribution in generating revenue for the company.

In spring 2009, a train named after Tama began operations. It is a remodelled train depicting cartoon drawings of Tama. The cat has even appeared in a documentary on wonder cats by Italian filmmaker Myriam Tonelotto.

Sarah Mori

Source: Malaysia Star

Senior ecologists and zoologists warned this week of rabies spreading in Israel following refusal of the environmental protection minister to authorize a culling of stray dogs, which spread the disease.

The scientists urged Minister Gilad Erdan to revoke the decision he made at the beginning of the year and allow Israel Nature and Parks Authority inspectors to cull stray dogs.

The Agriculture Ministry said the rabies eruption in the past year was marked by a considerable increase in rabid dogs, both stray and pets.

Failure to cull stray dogs increases their numbers, which in turn raises the risk of spreading the disease, the scientists say. In addition, stray dogs mean increased attacks on wild animals and threatens the extinction of certain species, they said.

Until recently the Veterinary Services in the agriculture and environment ministries used to authorize INPA inspectors to cull stray dogs to prevent rabies from spreading. Erdan demanded the Agriculture Ministry issue regulations determining what circumstances justify shooting dogs before approving the culling.

“Stray dogs wandering in packs have significantly reduced gazelles’ ability to reproduce,” the scientists wrote to Erdan. “Packs of dogs have devoured rare roe deer in Ramat Hanadiv and four female Persian fallow deer, one of the rarest species in the world, which Israel is saving from extinction and returning to the wild,” they wrote.

“I’ve received complaints from several regions about shooting dogs and of dogs left dying in the field,” Erdan said, confirming that he has not authorized culling stray dogs. “It confuses many people who think INPA’s job is to protect animals and don’t understand why they’re shooting dogs. I found there are no clear regulations saying where and in what circumstances shooting stray dogs is permitted,” he said.

Zafrir Rinat

Source: Ha’aretz

Pet dogs infect people with rabies more often than stray dogs, contrary to the public perception.

A public health official died on Feb 14 after being bitten by one of her own pet dogs.

She was the owner of a pet shop at the Chatuchak weekend market for about 10 years and vaccinated her dogs by herself.

One of her dogs bit her last December. By Feb 11, she had developed rabies symptoms.

Figures show that 60-70% of people who die of rabies are bitten by pet dogs, according to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Health Department.

About 30% of deaths involve puppies aged less than three months.

The virus killed nine people in 2008. Last year the number rose to 24 and seven have died so far this year, three of whom were in Bangkok, said the Public Health Ministry.

The ministry is worried about the situation this year, as the death rate has been higher than normal.

In fact all mammals can carry rabies, but the disease is found mainly in dogs.

Infected saliva coming into contact with scratches on human skin can cause the disease to spread, said department chief Montira Thongsari.

The severity of the disease can increase if a dog bites a victim in the face, which is closer to the brain, or the fingertips and toes, from where the virus can get into the nerves, she said.

Symptoms are similar to brain inflammation.

Victims are unusually sensitive to stimuli, including light, wind and water. Some are thirsty, but the nervous system blocks them from drinking.

“People often think they fear water. In fact, they fear everything because of disorders in the nervous system,” Dr Montira said.

The ministry said most people who catch the virus will develop symptoms within one year, although for some it may take up to three to four years.

Once the symptoms present themselves, victims die in about 10 days because there is no cure for the disease.

“The only good thing is the disease cannot spread through air,” Dr Montira said.

The risk of catching rabies is not confined to the summer months, Dr Montira said.

It can be caught in any season, but the most dangerous period is when dogs are mating.

If people are bitten, they should wash their wounds in soapy water for at least 10 minutes, and obtain a vaccination.

City Hall launched a campaign against rabies on March 5. Officials are preparing 400,000 doses of a jab to vaccinate dogs against rabies. They are travelling across Bangkok to offer the service.

Bangkok has about 400,000 stray dogs and 2-3 million pet dogs.

Vaccinations are also offered at the city’s 68 public health centres and seven animal clinics.

Ms Montira suggested people take puppies aged older than three months to be vaccinated.

Source: Bangkok Post

SEVENTY stray dogs have been captured in the Nasinu municipality in the past two weeks although hundreds remain on the loose.

Since the campaign was launched two weeks ago, council officers have been capturing an average of six to seven strays a night.

Nasinu Town Council special administrator Mosese Kama said they had allocated $900 from the operating expenditure for traps, baits and the labour involved in the campaign.

“The stray problem is common in municipalities – Nasinu’s no exception,” Mr Kama said.

He said in Nasinu alone, besides the 70 captured, there were more than 600 strays on the streets.

“We’re urging pet owners to ensure their dogs are in their compounds during the campaign period each night (8pm-11pm),” Mr Kama said.

“All the dogs we have captured in the past two weeks have been taken to the SPCA and any dog owner in Nasinu who’s missing a pet can check at the SPCA,” he said.

Attempts to obtain comments from the SPCA have been unsuccessful.

Mr Kama said the council would not resort to poisoning the stray animals. However, he emphasised the problem must be controlled.

Mr Kama recalled a year ago that a boy died in a road accident as he tried to avoid an attack from a stray dog.

“These are the kind of accidents we want to avoid so that is why we are working towards getting rid of this problem,” he said.

Timoci Vula

Source: Fiji Times Online

So finally, after years of broken promises and government neglect, the Gozo SPCA has had to take the unenviable decision to close its doors to any more stray dogs.

The lucky ones already in the centre will be re-homed but what about the huge number of abandoned puppies and other dogs that now have no chance of rescue and so can only look forward to an untimely end trying to survive on the street?

Betty Berry has found it impossible to continue her sterling work as manager in the face of severe emotional distress and frustration caused by the lack of adequate facilities and the disregard of those with the ability to provide larger, more suitable premises.

Overseas organisations like the Blue Cross Animal Charity and The Dogs Trust recognise the work done by the SPCA and help with funding but they cannot provide new premises.

The animal ambulance service has also been lost; meaning more pain and suffering for the sick and injured dogs of Gozo – and who cares? Certainly not those who abuse and mistreat their dogs or those who simply pass by on the other side not wishing to become involved.

Come on Gozo Ministry! Now’s your chance to do something for the outcast animals of Gozo – to show that the criticisms levelled at you are unfounded and you really appreciate the work of the Gozo SPCA.

Sadly, the majority of SPCA members and volunteers are ex-pats and as such have no vote in national elections despite having lived here for several years and contributed in no small way to the economy. What a difference we would see if these ex-pats had a vote!

David and Jenny Carter

Source: Times of Malta

Reporting from Mosquera, Colombia — Listening to yet another constituent complain about the thousands of neglected, scruffy mutts that prowl the streets of his town, Mosquera Mayor Luis Alvaro Rincon went ballistic. “A street dog,” he ground out, “is a dead dog.”

His fist pumping and voice rising as applause at the community gathering grew, he said, “It’s an order. Round them up and kill them!”

og.org

Rincon’s exasperation last summer was in some ways understandable. This suburb of Bogota has long been a dumping ground for canines whose owners are too uninterested or financially strapped to care for them. Now there may be 30,000 stray dogs here and in two adjoining suburbs, Madrid and Vaca.

“I know environmentalists won’t like it, but if they don’t, they should come to Mosquera and take a dog home with them,” Rincon said.

Driving around the Porvenir Rio barrio, one gets the impression that there are more dogs than people. They seem to be everywhere: foraging for food, lounging in the shade or sauntering across streets and alleys.

Animal control has been a foreign concept in Mosquera, a city of 90,000 with no dog pound. One of Colombia’s fastest-growing municipalities, Mosquera in recent years has had more pressing budgetary needs, including building a new hospital and roads and buying uniforms and lunches for the growing numbers of poor schoolchildren, the city’s health officer, Paola Linares, said in an interview.

As the stray dog population has grown, so has the health and safety crisis. The level of fecal dust is alarming, and rising, and 89 dog bites were reported last year, a 27% increase from 2008. “We had more cases of dog bites than measles last year,” Linares said.

Rincon’s outburst sparked little outcry at first. But in October, an animal rights activist put the video of Rincon’s speech on YouTube. That led to hundreds of angry phone calls and e-mails to City Hall from animal rights groups.

“This kind of discourse contributes to a disrespect for life in Colombia. Is it that much of a leap from mass murder of animals to that of humans?” said Albeiro Ulloa, an animal rights organizer in Bogota.

Protests were capped by a march here last month of 300 animal rights defenders, who were confronted by an equal-sized crowd of Rincon’s defenders.

Subsequently, tempers cooled and both sides agreed to work on a happy, or at least more humane, resolution of Mosquera’s canine crisis. Rincon retracted his “capture and kill” order and agreed to join a task force with animal rights leaders aimed at raising private funds to build a regional dog pound.

The panel also will try to change laws to restrict the sale of dogs and enforce vaccination laws.

“We have an imbalance in that there are too many dogs,” said Ivan Duque, a veterinarian who is advising the task force. “But it’s not the dogs’ problem, it’s ours, the human beings. We are the rational ones.”

Kraul is a special correspondent.

Chris Kraul

Source: Los Angeles Times

Bangkok is not a great place for dogs, or their owners, who must negotiate the steamy, concrete jungle with its famously hazardous sidewalks just to stretch their legs.

While Bangkok does have quite a few large parks, the vast majority of them do not allow canines. To make matters worse, the city is home to an estimated 300,000 stray dogs that can, at times, act aggressively toward their domesticated counterparts. Fortunately, there are a few dog-loving venues out there that will keep you and your pets off the hot city streets.

Ozono

A decidedly posh oasis for Bangkok’s pets exists in an establishment called Ozono. Located near the end of Sukhumvit soi 28, it is a hybrid shopping mall, dog playground and meeting place for Bangkokians and the animals they love.

There are funky shops, quirky cafes, plenty of green grass, and, most importantly, a playful canine-friendly vibe. All of the restaurants and shops allow dogs and cats inside. On a typical Saturday, dogs bound along a central stretch of grass. A mammoth golden retriever, perhaps, cavorts with a tiny pug. Owners congregate to sip coffee and chat.

zono’s “Aqua Dog” spa is run by Japanese grooming experts.

One of Ozono’s founding partners, Khun Dhanesha, says that he was inspired to create the place after becoming frustrated with the city’s restrictions on pets.

“I have had dogs all my life,” he says. “But Bangkok is not a dog-friendly city. You can’t bring dogs anywhere.”

Ozono also offers an ultra-exclusive, 3,200 square meter purpose-built pet park dubbed “Petropolis Park.” This is an enclosed area with tall trees, lush plants and thick shrubbery. Owners can lounge on tables and chairs while Fido cavorts, digging and running to his or her little heart’s content.

This luxury comes at a price, though: A 20,000 baht annual membership allows you and your pet to enter on any pre-selected two days of the week between Tuesday and Friday. (The park is closed on Monday) And the weekend package, when foot (and paw) traffic is highest, will set you back 30,000 baht per year.

Another popular feature of Ozono is a service that allows owners and dogs to receive pampering — simultaneously. Women (or, for that matter, men) can make an appointment to get their dogs groomed, while at the same time enjoying a manicure-pedicure for themselves.

Ozono opened in 2005, and during that time the patrons who frequent the place has changed, Dhanesha says.

“In the beginning, it was mostly expats [who visited Ozono]. Thai dog lovers thought that their big front yards were enough space for their dogs. But you need to socialize your dog with other dogs too,” he says. “Now Thai dog lovers’ attitudes have changed.”

Dhanesha notes that Ozono’s customers are now a mixture of Japanese, European, American, and Thai pet owners. Looking ahead, he says that Ozono has been such a success that the owners are considering opening a dog-friendly resort in Thailand’s coastal resort town of Hua Hin.

Fido can’t swim? No problem. Doggy Do has made-for-canine life jackets.

Doggie Do

Ozono isn’t the only dog-friendly hangout in the Thai capital. Another popular establishment is the aptly named Doggie Do swimming pool.

There is a large pool, play toys and several dedicated staff members decked out in wet suits who swim with and throw balls for the canines. Owners can sit at tables, snap photos and sip drinks.

If this is your pooch’s first time swimming, or if he or she is afraid of the water, fret not: Special dog-tailored life jackets are provided. After an hour of swimming and running and jumping, your dog will be worn out beyond belief — and will emerge happier, more relaxed and likely more obedient.

Doggie Do is located at 71 Soi Yenakart, in Bangkok’s Sathorn district. No reservations are necessary, but weekends can get crowded. Prices range from 250-850 baht per hour, with bigger (and longer-haired) breeds charged more. There is also boarding on site. An added bonus: For double that cost, staff will shampoo and groom your dog afterwards.

SCAD Bangkok

For resources on all things dog related in Bangkok, look no further than SCAD Bangkok. The acronym stands for Soi Cats And Dogs, and the non-profit is run by passionate volunteers and staff who rescue the city’s strays. SCAD, which was established in 2002, also sponsors educational programs, arranges the fostering and adoption of dogs and can arrange dog training.

Source: CNNGo.com

Animal welfare board asks AMC to cancel Asha Foundation’s contract citing irregularities and non-registration.

The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) has raised doubts about Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme and has asked the civic authority to cancel the contract with Asha Foundation for ABC programme and catching of strays.

In a letter to the Municipal Commissioner I P Gautam, the board chairman R M Kharab has asked the civic chief to terminate its contract with the organisation.

The AWBI chairman states the ABC programme and catching of stray dogs has been given to Asha Foundation on a tender/contract basis, despite the organisation not being familiar with its programme and has entered the scene purely for commercial purposes.

The AWBI is a statutory body of Government of India that oversees and facilitates the ABC programme throughout the country. The programme is a scientific and humane method of sterilising stray dogs, which has been carefully formulated by experts to prevent cruelty and to achieve optimum results in controlling the stray dog population and rabies.

Foundation not registered

The letter states that since the foundation is not registered with AWBI despite it being mandatory for any organisation associated with ABC programme to register, the AMC should cancel its contract with the foundation.

The letter also states the board has received several complaints against the foundation for cheating/defrauding the AMC and claiming money for bogus sterilisations, the letter states.

An AMC official who did not wished to be named said, “We haven’t received any such letter from the AWBI. We will take a decision after re-ceiving the letter.” He further added, “We are still in a tendering process.”

Harmesh Bhatt of the Asha Foundation said, “We are registered with in-ternational organisations like the World Veterinary Association.”

The civic authority had earlier given the foundation the contract for New West Zone and Central Zone. The organisation claims they have sterilised more than 1,500 dogs in the contract. The civic authority has paid them Rs 338 per sterilisation.

Meanwhile, the civic body has already begun the tendering process for a new contract for the ABC programme and two organisations have already sent in their bids, an AMC official said.

Source: Ahmebadab Mirror

A Ministry of Environment officer in Samoa says the entire community needs to help address the growing problem of stray cats and dogs.

The Ministry has teamed up with the Tourism Authority, the Animal Society and an American veterinary group called Animal Balance, to begin sterilizing stray cats and dogs from next week, in a bid to reduce their numbers.

The Ministry’s assistant CEO, Faleafaga Tony Tipama’a, says that there are too many strays because so many owners don’t look after their pets properly.

He says the problem needs a collective effort.

“Too many stray dogs here and people don’t take good care of them sometimes and it becomes a problem. And the problem is they sometimes bark at the people in town, they even become so fierce they do bite people. So we had a programme before and we went out catching them and unfortunately we just need the support everybody else because its everybody’s responsibility to try and take care of all these stray dogs and now they’re going to be looking at cats.”

Faleafaga Tony Tipama’a

Source: Radio New Zealand International

Suffolk City Council approved a leash law to go into effect in all areas of the city.

Pet owners now must keep their dogs on leashes throughout the city unless the dog is on the owner’s property, is hunting in approved areas or is being trained.

“We’re happy council has given our animal control officers tools that will promote responsible pet ownership,” Police Chief Thomas Bennett said after the meeting.

Under the proposed ordinance, animal control officers who catch dogs running at large can impound the dogs. Owners of licensed dogs will be notified of the impoundment, and will be subject to a fine. After a week, unlicensed dogs caught running at large could be euthanized, sold to a federal or state agency or delivered to a local humane society or shelter.

Before Wednesday’s meeting, a leash law was in effect in the greater downtown and northern portions of the city, as well as small swaths of Chuckatuck, Holland and Whaleyville. However, it was difficult to tell exactly where the law applied and where it did not, Bennett said.

“It’s kind of hard to see where the lines are, especially when you’re out in a field,” Bennett said.

Since the current leash law became effective in 1999, significant growth in the city resulted in a parallel growth in the pet population, Bennett said during the meeting. Animal control officers have received a corresponding increase in calls regarding dogs running at large and stray dog bites. Call for running at large from 2002 to 2008 averaged about 1,760 each year, Bennett said. The areas covered by the former leash law experienced a lower level of calls for dogs running at large and stray dog bites, indicating that a leash law would be effective throughout the city.

Neighboring jurisdictions including Franklin, Portsmouth and Chesapeake all have city-wide leash laws, Bennett added.

The measure was approved unanimously by City Council.

Tracy Agnew

Source: Suffolk News-Herald