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Controversy over HCM City dog hunting team
  • | dtinews.vn, infornet | September 14, 2017 10:23 AM
HCM City’s Veterinary Board has set up a dog warden team that targets strays. However, many people have opposed the decision.

The team has been operating in the city for 10 years, aiming to hunt strays which are claimed to pose potential dangers for traffic. After being caught, the dogs are sent to a centre at 252 on Ly Chinh Thang Street in District 3.

  

The dog warden team is on their duty


The taskforce is equipped with iron cages and nets for catching dogs. Every day, the seven-member team operates from 6 am to 10 pm throughout the city.

Under the regulations of HCM City’s Veterinary Board, after being caught, dog owners have 72 hours to come to the centre to pay a fine or the dogs will be killed.

Duong Thanh Da, the team leader, said that this is a sensitive job and some of colleagues sometimes are attacked by dog owners.

Bui Van Thanh in District 3 said “I totally support the team operation. In reality, many traffic accidents in HCM City are related to dogs left to wander the streets.”

However, many people, particularly dog owners, disagreed with the way dogs are hunted by the team, saying that using metal nets could cause injury and upset the dogs. It is more important to boost activities to raise public awareness about not letting their dogs freely go in streets.

Some others disagreed with the regulation that if owners do not pay a fine for 72 hours, their dogs will be destroyed.

"Why do the dogs have to be destroyed? Why can’t they be recorded and get a health check and then handed over to people who want to receive them or sent to animal rescue centres for being taken care of? I think this way is more humane,” said Vo Tan Tuan, a local resident

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