Rise in stray dogs population worries Kabul’s Butkhak residents

KABUL (Pajhwok): Some residents of Kochi Abad area of Kabul’s Butkhak district complain the increasing number of stray dogs in streets has created problems for them.

Kochi Abad area residents told Pajhwok Afghan News that the Kabul municipality used to dump garbage in the area and it attracted many stray dogs.

Sher Ali, a resident of Kochi Abad area, said a great number of stray dogs existed in the area and frightened children could not commute to schools or seminaries.

Sher Ali said: “Municipality workers came here a month ago, they caught the stray dogs, administered vaccine to them and released them back in the streets, the people asked them to take the dogs to another area, but the officials said the vaccine will render the dogs infertile and they will extinct.”

Khan Mohammad, another resident, said municipality officials had released the dogs after treatment at the dumpsite which was near their village.

He said in every street there were dogs which caused problems to local residents.

“The municipality must collect all the dogs from this area,” he said.

Ezat, another resident, said the population of stray dogs in their area had greatly increased and had become nuisance.

“People cannot walk in streets at night, we are fed up with the menace”, he added.

Some other residents also asked the government to address the issue of stray dogs.

However, municipality officials say different programs are being implemented to control stray dogs.

Kabul municipality spokesman Niamatullah Barakzai told Pajhwok they administrated vaccine to about 12,000 stray dogs and over 10,000 of them were sterilized.

“If dogs are identified rabid, they are collected and killed.”

He said the municipality was committed to controlling the menace of stray dogs all over the city,.

In some areas of Kabul, stray dogs have been collected and taken away following repeated complaints by residents.

aw/ma