Joy Adalia
Alarmed by the increasing number of stray dogs in the city of Karachi in Pakistan, officials decided it is best to cull these dogs before they cause more problems. Pakistan is yet to eliminate rabies in its animals; thus, these stray dogs are considered to be very harmful to people because these animals could be carrying the deadly disease.
In a massive campaign to eliminate these stray dogs, city workers roamed across the city to kill any dog they find in the streets. These dogs were, then, brought to a particular area in the city where they were lined up by the officials, possibly to best take the photos for their report. People who passed by the busy street could be seen taking photos of the dead dogs as well.
Although the massive culling is the city’s way of dealing with rabies and stray dogs, the act is condemned across the world because 1) the World Health Organization (WHO) said there was no evidence that killing stray dogs is an effective way to deal with rabies, and 2) people believed there has to be another way to deal with the stray dogs than killing them outright.
Instead of killing stray dogs, the WHO recommends that localities should conduct massive canine vaccination campaigns.
Mass canine vaccination campaigns have been the most effective measure for controlling canine rabies. High vaccination coverage (70 percent or higher) can be attained through comprehensive strategies consisting among others of well-designed educational campaigns, intersectoral cooperation, community participation, local commitment in planning and execution.
It is largely unknown whether Pakistan will follow WHO protocol in the future.
Meanwhile, the dead dogs in Karachi were later dumped into the garbage pile by the city officials. This could potentially lead to other issues, considering that the decaying dogs might bring disease to the people living close to the dump site. Still, the city officials also need to find a way to deal with the issue of rabies as this continues to be a threat to the people in the community.
