Yahoo – AFP,
27 July 2014
File
photo taken in October 2010 shows government health workers vaccinating a dog in Denpasar during a province-wide anti-rabies campaign (AFP Photo/ Sonny Tumbelaka) |
Among the
white sandy beaches, luxury villas and temples, authorities on the Indonesian
island of Bali are carrying out mass culls of dogs in an anti-rabies campaign,
an official confirmed Sunday.
Despite a
stomach-churning 16-minute video posted on YouTube of a mass slaughter that has
prompted outrage from animal welfare groups, Bali Animal Husbandry Department
chief Putu Sumantra said there were no plans to end the practice.
"The
dogs culled were smuggled illegally. When that happens, we try to find the
owners to return them, and ensure they are vaccinated. But if they have no
owners, we have to cull them," Sumantra told AFP, adding the persistent
problem "requires firm action".
The footage
shows more than 30 dogs squealing before they are given lethal injections to
the heart and piled on top of each other as they convulse to their deaths.
A uniformed
employee is seen smiling at a small fluffy pomeranian as she takes picture of
it on her smartphone seconds before it is injected, along with Siberian
huskies, collie dogs and pugs.
Although
the footage was first posted in April, a repost this week sent the video viral,
with 40,000 views in three days.
People for
the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) strongly condemned the "inhumane
slaughter" in a statement received by AFP.
"Local
animal welfare groups have run successful vaccination programmes and the number
of humans becoming infected with rabies has fallen dramatically," it said.
The
government too has carried out a programme, with more than 300,000 dogs
vaccinated.
File
photo taken in October 2010 shows government health workers vaccinating a dog in Denpasar during a province-wide anti-rabies campaign (AFP Photo/ Sonny Tumbelaka) |
Since 2008,
147 people have died after contracting rabies on Bali, but the numbers have
declined rapidly over the years, with 10 deaths reported since 2012.
PETA warned
that "many compassionate people worldwide will avoid travelling to
Bali" after learning of the practice, while a petition on Change.org
calling for an end to the culling has attracted more than 20,000 signatures.
Bali
Governor I Made Mangku Pastika recently encouraged authorities to
"eliminate" all stray dogs, according to local media reports, saying
the government was tired of carrying out vaccinations and that protecting
tourists was priority.
I Gusti
Ngurah Bagus from the Bali Animal Welfare Association also condemned the
practice, saying that animal trade should be better organised and dog breeders
and sellers should be licensed.
"People
are throwing away native Balinese dogs in exchange for imported breeds that are
often not vaccinated, diseased, unhealthy and at times already incubating
rabies," he said.
The Bali
provincial government is aiming to rid the island of rabies by 2020, and in
2009 passed a local law obliging dog owners to vaccinate their pets.
Bali, a
holiday spot popular for its surf, nightlife and cultural heritage, attracted
more than three million foreigners last year, almost a million of them from
neighbouring Australia.
No comments:
Post a Comment