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In the middle of August 2021, numerous posts circulated on social media platforms, particularly Facebook, about poisoning 12 to 14 dogs in the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall in Colombo and dumping them somewhere in the Negombo area.
Few witnesses claimed to have observed the incident, and according to their accounts, the dogs began howling immediately after the poison injection and collapsed silently on the grounds. According to one widely shared social media post, the dogs were thrown into the lorry, resulting in fatal bone fractures. It was also stated that a mother of four puppies was among the dogs killed, and according to broadly circulated social media posts, they are now with an animal welfare activist.
The media claimed that they tried several times to contact the Conference Hall's Director General, Sunil Dissanayake, for clarification but were unsuccessful. He was later questioned about the incident by an Animal Welfare and Protection Activist, and he claimed that he was unaware of such an incident occurring on the premises. The Morning also stated that they were able to contact Mr. Dissanayake through one of his close associates and his statement is as follows; “The management of the BMICH refutes the false claims presents circulating on social media that we are eradicating stray dogs roaming in our premises, by poisoning and killing them. These claims are completely untrue.”
However, he stated in the same communication that a large number of stray dogs find their way into the BMICH premises and cause numerous problems for its customers, visitors, and staff. Many customers, he claims, have been attacked by stray dogs on numerous occasions, and two months ago, a staff member was attacked and required rabies injections and medical care. Many complaints have also been made by parents whose children attend classes in the area that they feel extremely unsafe because of the stray dogs in the area.
A religious group holding a religious meeting in the area reported the incident to the Animal Welfare and Protection Association. When the religious group inquired about what they saw, they were told that it was not a case of dog slaughter, but rather of anesthesia and transporting the dogs to another location. What they suspect is that some dogs immediately went silent and died, and that dogs who were suffering and withering were taken away in a vehicle.
Whatever the justification, it is never in the hands of one living creature to take the life of another. There are always better solutions than taking a life as technology advances. The World Health Organization estimates that there are 200 million stray dogs worldwide. However, there are countries with no stray dogs like The Netherlands.
However, even developed countries are struggling with the stray dog problem. I n less developed countries like Sri Lanka, the problem is exacerbated. There is no single factor that has resulted in the Netherlands becoming a no-stray dog country. However, there is one program that has the most influence in combating the problem: the CNVR program. This is a sterilization project funded by the federal government. “CNVR stays for Collect, Neuter, Vaccinate and Return. The goal of this program is to collect all the dogs, strays and domesticated. Neuter, vaccinate and label all the dogs and then return them where they come from. This must be performed together with education and registration.”
This is a tried-and-true method for dealing with stray dogs. There are countries that have demonstrated more effective methods of dealing with the problem than taking lives. All Lives Matter!!! No reason can validate taking another creature’s life.
Written By: Rtr. Hiruni Fernando
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