The move came after animal rights campaigners threatened court action on grounds of cruelty.

Five hundred dogs had already been poisoned, but city officials say they will try a programme to sterilise the animals chemically instead.

The cull was originally proposed to help eradicate the threat of rabies.

'Nuisance'

Authorities had planned to poison the city's population of about 100,000 stray dogs with strychnine, health officials said.

"These dogs have become a big nuisance and they are threatening humans," said Kashmir's Pashmina goats at risk ...
India FM alert over nuclear deal ...
Bombers 'may be from Pakistan' ...
Live - Sri Lanka v England ... city health officer Dr Riyaz Ahmad, according to Associated Press.

But animal rights activists called the move cruel, pointing out that not every dog carries rabies.

They also argued the move was illegal, and had threatened to take the matter to court.

On Friday, officials said the programme had been cancelled.

"We're not going ahead with this poisoning, not at all," said Syed Haq Nawaz, a municipal official, according to AP.

He said local officials would work with animal welfare groups and federal environment officials to plan a programme of chemical sterilisation.

Rabies is a common and growing problem in many of India's cities.

Of the 35,000 people estimated to die from rabies worldwide every year, 60% are in India.

(BBC)

<< Back