Rawalpindi launches massive dog culling operation amid surge in dog bite cases

RAWALPINDI: In a recent development, a massive dog culling operation has been launched by the district government in Rawalpindi, resulting in the death of 52 stray and rabid dogs in just 24 hours.

The deadly measure was adopted as incidents of dog bites have reported a noticeable peak, with hospitals treating an average of four to five cases a day and 64 cases in the past week alone.

An order has been issued by Deputy Commissioner Hassan Waqar Cheema to conduct a city-wide operation in one week, while teams of the Civil Defence Department have been formed to answer to calls from the public about stray and rabid dogs.

Volunteers form the leading teams, accompanied by the members of various municipal corporations and committees, who have been working together with the police to identify and cull stray dogs.

A strychnine poison laced in meat is deployed in this instance to kill the dogs in 10-15 minutes. However, the district government has raised a concern about the non availability of anti rabies vaccines and injections in government hospitals.

These urgent life-saving medicines are out of stock in three tehsils of the district, and even in major hospitals like Holy Family and Benazir Bhutto General Hospitals, commoners have had to buy them on the black market.

The DC has ordered all hospitals to procure the anti rabies vaccination immediately, but these municipal corporations and committees supplying the poison for the culling operation lack the drugs needed!