new rabies elimination act in Sri Lanka

[Guest guest]

While the Health-Minister supported by Vimukth Kumaratunga, the President's son,

has promised, that the new act will definitely concentrate on vaccination and

sterilization and do away with killing, here in Kandy the Municipal Vet.Surgeon

insists on reverting to killing, taking it for granted, that Siva Obeysekara's

draft will be accepted by the Ministry and passed by Parliament, while in fact

it is just a draft, one suggestion amongst many others.

 

We hope the Minister or the Mayor or the Governor of the Central Division will

prevent the KMC-Vet from unlawfully

killing dogs, otherwise we have to apply for a second injunction, which would

clearly define the court-order issued previously, which says that the

ABC-Programme carried out by SOFA should not be obstructed... killing the dogs,

which have been vaccinated and sterilized is without doubt an obstruction

because it would render all our work futile.

 

Pradeep has written a letter to the Health-minister, also Arun Tampoe, who is a

lawyer and an animal-rights activist in Colombo, SOFA-President Dr.Godamune and

Dr. Pethiyagoda have written to the press and to the Ministry, a SOFA

press-release has been partly published, but still the voice for the rights of

the animals is not heard much compare to the lies of those, who want to kill

under the pretext of rabies-elimination. In Kandy no cases of human rabies

occured and the post-exposure-vaccinations issued in the General Hospital are

only 50% of the ones issued one year before, which clearly indicates less

dog-bites... and even those bites, which still occure, are mostly by owned dogs,

not by street-dogs. Despite all these facts, for their own vested intrests the

Municipal Vet.Surgeon and his staff are all out to kill. Earlier they killed

3000 dogs a year, after impounding the dogs caught for three days under terrific

conditions, now, if we can't stop them, the number will be much higher, because

we occupy the dog-pound, so they will kill on the spot with poisoned meat, which

takes much less time than catching and transporting. If in Kandy, where the only

successful ABC-Programme took place so far in Sri Lanka, dogs are being killed

again at a time, when in Colombo a National humane solution is being discussed,

I am afraid whatever the law will be, the local authorities will simply go their

own way in Lanka, just as it happens in Arunachal Pradesh these days inspite of

the progressive law India has got.

 

Therefore once again we appeal to everyone: Please write letters to the

Health-Minister and ask him, not only to issue a humane policy to eliminate

rabies, but also to ensure that it is being implemented by the local

authorities. The letter can be send to my e-mail-address, we will print them out

and forward them to the Ministry.

 

Thank you

 

Padma

 

(Treasurer of SOFA)

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Dear Padma,

 

You may please all records, statistics and evidences. These are all very

crucial because what I can see is a court battle and in the court we must prove

evidences. Dr.Chinny has sent in our legal papers on these facts, also youcan

have the copy of our Dog Rules etc., for pressing the issue.

 

Also you have the contempt to file .

 

It is true that killing of dogs in India despite the laws and rules are going on

but they are doing in areas where there are no animal welfare activists where

such decisions can be taken. It is important that the rules and laws be

circulated to all but in the absence of any activists for animal welfare the

authorities can do what they like until somebody reports. But India is a big

country and covering every area is difficult with this programme but we are

catchingup and spreading soon.

 

For instance in our STATE we are having the official implementation of ABC/AR

workshop which if it goes through will be followed by other States.

 

We must try to convince that we are vigorous in this programme and that works.

 

WARM REGARDS,

Pradeep.

 

 

 

Padma <padmaeva wrote:

While the Health-Minister supported by Vimukth Kumaratunga, the President's son,

has promised, that the new act will definitely concentrate on vaccination and

sterilization and do away with killing, here in Kandy the Municipal Vet.Surgeon

insists on reverting to killing, taking it for granted, that Siva Obeysekara's

draft will be accepted by the Ministry and passed by Parliament, while in fact

it is just a draft, one suggestion amongst many others.

 

We hope the Minister or the Mayor or the Governor of the Central Division will

prevent the KMC-Vet from unlawfully

killing dogs, otherwise we have to apply for a second injunction, which would

clearly define the court-order issued previously, which says that the

ABC-Programme carried out by SOFA should not be obstructed... killing the dogs,

which have been vaccinated and sterilized is without doubt an obstruction

because it would render all our work futile.

 

Pradeep has written a letter to the Health-minister, also Arun Tampoe, who is a

lawyer and an animal-rights activist in Colombo, SOFA-President Dr.Godamune and

Dr. Pethiyagoda have written to the press and to the Ministry, a SOFA

press-release has been partly published, but still the voice for the rights of

the animals is not heard much compare to the lies of those, who want to kill

under the pretext of rabies-elimination. In Kandy no cases of human rabies

occured and the post-exposure-vaccinations issued in the General Hospital are

only 50% of the ones issued one year before, which clearly indicates less

dog-bites... and even those bites, which still occure, are mostly by owned dogs,

not by street-dogs. Despite all these facts, for their own vested intrests the

Municipal Vet.Surgeon and his staff are all out to kill. Earlier they killed

3000 dogs a year, after impounding the dogs caught for three days under terrific

conditions, now, if we can't stop them, the number will be

much higher, because we occupy the dog-pound, so they will kill on the spot

with poisoned meat, which takes much less time than catching and transporting.

If in Kandy, where the only successful ABC-Programme took place so far in Sri

Lanka, dogs are being killed again at a time, when in Colombo a National humane

solution is being discussed, I am afraid whatever the law will be, the local

authorities will simply go their own way in Lanka, just as it happens in

Arunachal Pradesh these days inspite of the progressive law India has got.

 

Therefore once again we appeal to everyone: Please write letters to the

Health-Minister and ask him, not only to issue a humane policy to eliminate

rabies, but also to ensure that it is being implemented by the local

authorities. The letter can be send to my e-mail-address, we will print them out

and forward them to the Ministry.

 

Thank you

 

Padma

 

(Treasurer of SOFA)