Stray issue: Two heads are better than one

I recently came across a social media post by an animal welfare group regarding the authorities setting up cages in certain locations to trap stray dogs. As an animal lover, my heart goes out to the volunteers who have spent countless hours caring and spaying these animals with a single goal of ending the stray problem in our country.

As the poster pointed out, catching these strays and relocating them to a shelter is a short-term solution to a wider problem. We have irresponsible dog owners in our midst. Once they catch wind of the authorities removing strays from the streets, they will see their pet abandonment tendencies as nothing more than a routine. It is not unlike chronic litterbugs who make light of their habit. After all, someone else will clean up their mess, right?

During the Legislative Council (LegCo) meeting earlier this year, the authorities said an animal shelter has been set up to tackle the stray issue. It is definitely a move worth applauding, especially with all the reports of street dogs attacking passers-by. However, since the conclusion of the meeting, there haven’t been any updates regarding their initiative. Neither was there any public announcement prior to the current trap-the-stray operation.

Perhaps what the animal welfare group was trying to get at in their social media post is why there is no transparency on the part of the authorities. Had these volunteers been consulted, the authorities would have been directed to a more humane measure. Instead, we now have viral videos of dogs trapped in cages, hungry, dehydrated and scared. For animal lovers, it is gut-wrenching to sit through these clips.

Despite the outrage on social media, I do believe the operation is a reflection of the authorities’ concerns for our well-being. However, I also believe that the animal welfare groups have more experience in handling the problem as they are out there every day – rain or shine – trying to attend to the needs of these strays. As such, I hope to see more collaboration between the authorities and the volunteers in tackling the issue. Two heads are better than one, after all.

Concerned Citizen