Wednesday, July 7, 2004Wednesday, July 7, 2004

Stray dog round-up suspended

THALANG: The mass round-up of Phuket’s stray dogs – which began on June 18 – has been suspended amid problems including budget overspending, escaping dogs, and a small number of the 200-plus strays at the pound being “liberated” by their former neighborhood feeders.

Veterinarian Dr Weerapab Termkiatpaisarn, the head of the round-up program at the Phuket Provincial Livestock Office (PPLO), told the Gazette today that the PPLO has halted the round-up pending a meeting due to take place on July 13.

Dr Weerapab said, “We have encountered many problems since the round-up began last month. Some dogs have escaped through the fence – which was not very well constructed – either by by biting through it or by digging underneath it. We have now blocked the holes with planks of wood.”

He also said that the sterilization program at the pound had been overwhelmed by the arrival each day of too many dogs. “It wasn’t properly organized,” he admitted.

Dr Weerapab explained that the PPLO has so far spent more than 100,000 baht on tranquilizer darts, each one of which costs between 200 and 300 baht.

He said, “It is expensive to subdue dogs in this way but it is the safest method [for the dog catchers] to capture them. The dogs are scared and could bite the catchers.”

Dr Weerapab said that he understood the feelings of dog lovers who have traveled to the pound, identified animals impounded from their neighborhood, and walked out with them.

“I acknowledge that not everyone agrees with the round-up and the pound itself, but some people just do not appreciate the problems this province has [with stray dogs],” he said.

He added that all 19 local administrations in Phuket have been advised of the suspension of the round-up but added that it would resume after the July 13 meeting with Phuket Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura.

Yep, let's get em' rounded up & sent to Korea (they eat dogs there... don't you know)

and you know they beat them up before killing them in order to make them taste better.

I was invited for a dog lunch one day in Vietnam but politely refused and chose some fish dish.

Stupid soi dog almost got me last night. He lies down right in the intersection to my soi evryday. Last night, coming back from the store on the scooter I started turning on my soi and for the 1st time he tried to bite my leg, I missed my turn and kept going. I did a u turn down the other soi and came back charging straight for it on the scooter (we live down a dead end street), wasn't enough, he tried it again. I don't know what kept me from going back down the soi with a club and beat the sh1t out of it . Next time will be his last, more food coming for the ants!