Council launches operation to curb rabies

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SEVEAL dogs have been shot at Ngozi Mine by the Bulawayo City Council in an operation aimed at curbing the spread of rabies.

SEVEAL dogs have been shot at Ngozi Mine by the Bulawayo City Council in an operation aimed at curbing the spread of rabies.

PRIVILEGE SHOKO OWN CORRESPONDENT

Council, in conjunction with the police, Department of Veterinary Services and Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) last week launched the operation targeting stray dogs.

The operation is set to spread to other provinces. Council issued a statement recently informing residents to keep their dogs in enclosures and indicating that residents were not allowed to keep more than two dogs.

However, Ngozi Mine residents are bitter at the shooting of their dogs, saying they were not straying.

“The police and the council arrived in our area and shot every dog they saw without even talking to us or giving us any notice,” a resident said.

“They are failing to give us stands so that we can put our dogs in enclosures, but they are busy killing innocent dogs.”

The resident lashed out at the operation saying they should focus on developmental issues rather than going around chasing and killing dogs.

“They are failing to offer service delivery to the people and instead of putting dogs in bins they should be putting litter in bins and dumping it at proper sites,” the resident said.

Acting Bulawayo town clerk Sikhangele Zhou said the local authority was shocked by the increase in the number of dogs testing positive for rabies.

Residents with more than two dogs have been advised to surrender the excess to SPCA.