Indian Kashmir to poison 100,000 stray dogs

Officials in Indian-Kashmir have poisoned hundreds of dogs and aim to kill all 100,000 strays in the region's main city — saying the animals pose a risk to humans and make urban life unbearable.

With the world's highest rabies fatality rate, India has long struggled to control its millions of stray dogs, a problem exacerbated by rapidly growing cities and slums.

Animal rights activists vowed yesterday to go to court to stop the slaughter planned by Srinagar city, saying it is an illegal and cruel solution to a problem that could be addressed in other ways. City officials, however, said they would press ahead.



"These dogs have become a big nuisance and they are threatening humans," said Dr. Riyaz Ahmad, the Srinagar city health officer who is organizing the killings. "We have placed orders for the poison and then we will launch a large-scale drive. For the time being we are doing it with stocks we have," he said.

Ahmad said so far some 500 dogs have been killed. Asked if officials plan to kill all the city's strays — estimated at more than 100,000 — he said, "that's the target."
Javaid Iqbal Shah, the deputy head of the Srinagar Society to Prevent Cruelty to Animals, said the poison used, strychnine, was particularly cruel, causing terrible suffering to the dogs. "It cripples the nervous system and then chokes the animal. It is not a good sight to see these animals die by the roadside. I have seen children cry when they pass by these dying dogs," he said.