- Target:
- Ministry of Health
- Region:
- Trinidad and Tobago
Stray dogs are a significant problem in Trinidad and Tobago. People respond negatively to them because they are often seen as a nuisance. Because of this, they are often abused: beaten, burned, abandoned, and poisoned.
Many stray dogs can be seen dead on highways and the sides of roads. In rural areas, they are a threat to livestock, the source of income for farmers. Certain parts of Trinidad and Tobago, particularly beaches, have become dumping grounds for puppies and unwanted dogs. For these and a host of other reasons, something must be done to reduce the number of strays in Trinidad and Tobago.
The 1918 Dogs Act (http://rgd.legalaffairs.gov.tt/Laws2/Alphabetical_List/lawspdfs/67.54.pdf) and Section 79 of the Summary of Offences (http://rgd.legalaffairs.gov.tt/Laws2/Alphabetical_List/lawspdfs/11.02.pdf) are the only pieces of legislation regarding the welfare of stray dogs.
There is a need for improved legislation, greater involvement by the government, more animal shelters/facilities to house stray dogs throughout the country (not only in urban areas), and greater responsibility on the part of dog owners to ensure that their animal companions are not free to roam the streets.
We, the undersigned, call on the government of Trinidad and Tobago to play an active role in the stray dog overpopulation problem in the country. The Dogs Act of 1918 no longer addresses the needs of country.
We support updated legislation that will place responsibility on owners and the public to ensure the well-being of dogs, both owned and stray. We support the registration of owned dogs and limitations to the number of dogs owned by a single person. We support regulations that explicitly describe humane methods concerning the capture, housing, and potential euthanization of stray dogs.
We support the building of infrastructure that will serve as shelters for stray dogs in addition to the non-governmental and governmental facilities currently in place. We want the government of Trinidad and Tobago to subsidize spaying and neutering of dogs. We hope that the government of Trinidad and Tobago understands that animal welfare, tourism, and public health are all impacted by the stray dog population, and that its involvement in this issue will lead to the betterment of the nation as a whole.
You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it
The Stray Dog Overpopulation - Government Involvement is a Must! petition to Ministry of Health was written by Miguella Mark-Carew and is in the category Animal Welfare at GoPetition.