Bangladesh dog lovers protest brutal cull

Scores of dog lovers shouting "Don't kill, sterilise" marched through Dhaka yesterday to protest Bangladesh's brutal canine culling, which involves breaking the animals' necks. Carrying banners with slogans, the protesters linked hands in front of the Dhaka City Corporation, the main government agency responsible for culling thousands of dog each year. Organisers, who arranged the protest using media such as Facebook and Twitter, said they believed it was the first time such a public protest against the culling had been held in Bangladesh.

"We've come here with a message: please stop this brutal practice of dog culling," said Rubaiya Ahmad, head of Obhoyaronnyo (Sanctuary), an organiser of the event, which drew demonstrators of all ages, from teenagers to pensioners. "Nowhere in the world are dogs treated so badly as in Bangladesh," she said. The Dhaka City Corporation alone kills up to 20,000 stray dogs a year, according to city figures, amid concerns that rabies has become a major killer in the country. Thousands more are killed in rural areas.



According to the latest government data, at least 2000 people died of rabies in Bangladesh in 2009, the highest per capita rate in the world. Organisers said they supported the anti-rabies drive but demanded an end to the brutal methods used to kill dogs, including breaking their necks with tongs and beating them to death. In the face of growing concern, health officials last year admitted for the first time that existing methods were "cruel" and said they were seeking more humane ways to contain the canine population.

But protesters said progress was too slow. "The authorities should sterilise dogs or vaccinate them against rabies. There are lots of compassionate ways to contain the dog population," said Obhoyaronnyo's Ahmad. "I have seen how they put down these lovely animals," added Ash Bhattacharjee, 17, another demonstrator. "They catch dogs from roadsides and use iron tongs to break their necks and the helpless animals are dead in minutes," she said.