Officials in Indian Kashmir have launched an anti-rabies campaign that will kill more than 100,000 stray dogs in the region’s main city of Srinagar.

The city has placed an order for the poison, strychnine, and plans to carry out the widespread extermination immediately.

Animal rights activists are attempting to prevent the city from carrying out the initiative. Activists believe other, more humane solutions, such as sterilization, could be used to combat the rabies problem.

While only two deaths have occurred from 1,341 dog bites reported in Srinagar, the citizens of the city are largely in favor of the poisoning.

Animal rights activists say they will file suit against the city, claiming the poisoning would be a violation of the prevention of cruelty act. The use of strychnine, according to activists, is especially cruel since it would cripple the dogs’ nervous system and cause them to choke to death.

About 500 dogs have been killed so far by the city’s anti-rabies program.

Source: The Independent

K9 Commentary:

The thought of 100,000 dogs being poisoned and killed, whatever the reason may be, is hard to fathom. While I understand rabies are a widespread problem throughout India, it seems as though the region would benefit more by instituting a more long-term plan in dealing with the rabies issue. Once these 100,000 dogs are killed, what will happen when stray dogs once again begin breeding and overpopulate the region once again? More poison for the next round of rabid dogs?

 To truly make this rabies epidemic begin to disappear, the overpopulation of stray dogs must be dealt with by means such as sterilization. It’s important to acknowledge that there is no such thing as a quick fix, poison or no poison.