Residents in Kikuyu Sub-County have been cautioned against touching poisonous baits meant to control stray dogs and cats during a 14-day exercise.
The exercise enters its eighth day today and it was commenced following public outcry over many dog bite cases by stray dogs in Kikuyu Town and its environs. The county’s veterinary services office planned to carry out the baiting exercise to allegedly kill all stray dogs and cats.
Speaking from his office on Friday, area veterinary officer Dr James Njoroge said his office took action after receiving information from the county public health office, that there was a rapid increase of reported bite cases in the area. Dr Njoroge noted that the places most affected were Kidfarmaco Estate, areas surrounding the railway station, Ondire Village, Muguga, Stairs and parts of Zambezi.
Dr Njoroge said that an average of 15 dog bites were reported monthly and it costs an individual Sh8,000 to get a vaccine against rabies. He said the stray dogs were from homesteads where they were not controlled and, therefore, found their way to towns and roads especially at the dumping site.
He added that the baiting exercise would take place at night and away from homesteads to avoid baiting domesticated animals. Dr Njoroge added that the baits would be put at specific points at around 8pm and those not consumed by 6am would be removed and disposed.
“We shall assume that all dogs that will be ensnared are stray, because tamed dogs are expected to operate within their homesteads,” he said.
However, he said the site for disposing off the carcasses was yet to be identified and the town administrator was working on the same. Dr Njoroge said the key challenge to such an exercise is that dog owners hide their animals and release them immediately after, making the exercise ineffective.