Authorities in the island district of Buvuma, Uganda, have launched a mass killing campaign for stray dogs due to increased cases of dog bites reported by concerned residents. The initiative, involving the poisoning of stray dogs, aims to prevent the potential spread of rabies, especially among unvaccinated dogs.
In Lwaje Sub-county, where numerous dog bites have been documented, residents are resorting to carrying clubs for protection while fetching water from springs and supervising their livestock. The situation has prompted urgent calls for intervention from local leaders.
Farmer Adul Isabirye expressed the community’s distress, stating, “We demand that our leaders come to our rescue. The dogs are now attacking our children, including the adults.”
Andrew Sseguya, the Lwaje Sub-county veterinary officer, emphasized the heightened risk of rabies transmission from unvaccinated stray dogs. He informed residents of Kalungi, Kaserere, and Banka villages to secure their dogs in kennels, as the campaign focuses on eliminating stray dogs through poisoning.
Following numerous complaints and requests for assistance from the residents, district authorities supplied the necessary poison for the extermination exercise. Stray dogs have not only posed a threat to human safety but have also caused the loss of several domestic animals, including goats.
Lwaje Sub-county chairman Bernard Ndibalema highlighted the severity of the issue, stating, “More than 100 domestic animals, especially goats, sheep, and cows, have been killed in the past three months. Mass extermination of these stray dogs is the best solution to address this problem caused by people abandoning the responsibility of caring for their dogs, allowing them to roam freely in the villages.”
