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Stray dog menace on the rise
Despite efforts by authorities to control rabies, the increasing number of stray dogs is nullifying the best efforts of the authorities.
The latest incident occurred in Anuradhapura on July 08 – a group of eleven students from Anuradhapura Central College were reported to have been bitten by a rabid dog.
 Heartless: An innocent brood of puppies abandoned by humans who feel it is criminal to euthanise them |
 A rabid dog attack necessitated 11 students in Anuradhapura being rushed to hospital |
 The country-wide canine population now stands at 2.5 million |
 Bereft of owners these dogs scavenge the streets in search of food |
 Stray dogs also pose a danger to motorists, as they often lie in the middle of the road |
The injured -eight girls and three boys were rushed to the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital for treatment. North Central Province Minister of Health, H.B. Semasinghe, said Rs. 36 million was spent annually on anti-rabies treatment.
The Anuradhapura town itself has around 8,000 stray dogs. In another incident a 35-year-old man from Bentara is said to have committed suicide after his son who was bitten by a stray dog sustained serious injuries. Abandoned as puppies in public places and roads by members of the public, this canine population now stands at 2.5 million.
Sri Lanka’s ratio of dogs to human population stands at 1:8. Daily around 2,000 cases of dog bites are reported country-wide. Annually 50 people are said to die of rabies. Government spends about one billion rupees for rabies control both on rabies vaccines and sterilisation/neutering of dogs.
Sanjaya Jayaratne of Nugegoda who was severely bitten by a rabid dog, said he had to spend over Rs. 30,000 to purchase six vials of anti rabies vaccine, with each vial costing Rs. 6,000.
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