RE: SRI LANKA: LOOKING FOR SHORTCUTS... AT THE EXPENSE OF THE DOGS

[Guest guest]

Dear friends of animals,

 

The only use of progestrone injections in a street dog control programme is

to buy time for implementing a surgical

spaying where surgical facilities are either unavailable at that time or

where they are insufficient.

 

I feel that the risks of using progesterone an a mass scale by the Kandy

municipality, as described

by Ms. Rohini de Silva of SOFA, is no a proper way to handle the situation.

 

Dr. S. Chinny Krishna

Blue Cross of India

 

Padma [padmaeva]

Thursday, July 13, 2006 2:36 AM

aapn

SRI LANKA: LOOKING FOR SHORTCUTS... AT THE EXPENSE OF THE DOGS

 

 

Open letter to the President of Sri Lanka

 

 

 

Dear Sir,

 

 

 

First of all we wish to thank you for having taken a revolutionary step by

giving your protection to man’s best friend. Killing dogs has been a useless

and cruel method of rabies-prevention and it was high time to replace this

gruesome practice with humane and effective methods.

 

 

 

In Kandy we have sterilized and vaccinated more than 7500 animals (mostly

female dogs) in the past four years and if one adds to this figure the

numbers, which have been sterilized by other animal-welfare-groups, Kandy

has certainly reduced its dog-population substantially. It is visible on the

streets of Kandy, that the number of dogs is decreasing and it also reflects

in the two major hospitals of Kandy: the number of dog-bites has decreased

by more than 50% and therefore 50% less rabies-post-exposure-vaccinations

have been issued.

 

 

 

We could have given these evidences and other related data at the

media-conference held by the Health-Minister last Monday, but we were not

invited, even though the Director of Public Health Services is aware, that

in Kandy a humane dog-population-control-programme is being carried out.

 

 

 

After the conference we were informed, that your wise decision to

introduce humane methods, has now been altered: instead of sterilizing the

animals, the local authorities now consider to use progesterone treatment to

prevent pregnancies. After consulting the Veterinary Surgeons of the

Peradeniya University we have come to the conclusion, that this method

should not be adopted for the following reasons:

 

 

 

1.. Even after one progesterone injection animals can develop “pyometra”

, a very painful condition, which is fatal if not treated in time by removal

of the womb, more likely it will occur after the second or third treatment.

Please refer to the “Textbook of Small Animal Medicine” by John Dunn, Page

582 for more information on the disease.

 

 

2.. The progesterone injection has to be repeated every six months. Even

if the animal has not yet died of pyometra after the first injection, it

would have to be injected again every six months to prevent pregnancy

permanently, which is neither economic nor efficient.

 

 

3.. Since no animal warden can know of each street-dog when she was in

heat last, he cannot know whether he injects the progesterone into a

pregnant dog. Each pregnant dog injected will surely die in a short time a

very painful slow death.

 

 

Dear Sir, we cannot help, but to conclude, that your honourable intention

to prevent cruelty against animals is being undermined and therefore we

appeal to you, to give strict order, that the dog-population control has to

take place through surgical sterilization.

 

 

 

We would gladly volunteer to help in your efforts, to control the dog- and

also the cat-population if it is done in a decent way. We don’t agree to

methods, which imply risks and inflict suffering onto the animals.

 

 

 

Since the animals cannot talk, we plead to you on their behalf, to respect

their right to life and wellbeing and safety.

 

 

 

Thank you for hearing our desperate plea.

 

 

 

With respect

 

 

 

Rohini de Silva

 

 

 

(Secretary of SOFA)