Mayor backs dog culling as Karachi sees spike in bite cases

In the wake of increasing reported incidents of dog bites in Karachi, Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab hinted on Wednesday that the situation was nearing a turning point and even mentioned dog culling in case the people demanded relief.

Addressing a query in a media encounter in Ittehad Town, the mayor explained that public sentiment in respect of the matter had diverged considerably from one neighborhood to another, but one should not allow a minority to decide what is to be done in a city that is home to more than 25 million citizens.

 “If I ask people here in Ittehad Colony what needs to be done with stray dogs, they will say that stray dogs should be eliminated. But if I go to Clifton, there are 10 to 15 people who will say, ‘No, this should not be done.’ These 10 to 15 people have their way of thinking, and they have 25 million people behind them,” he said. 

 Mr Wahab continued, "The will of all the people must be taken into account, because a few people should not be given more importance than the rest."

Emphasizing the limitations in neutering, he said the method requires time to show results and questioned the criticism faced by authorities when attacks continue during that period.

“If neutering is to be done, its impact will take time to appear. Then people should not criticize when dogs bite,” he said. “If the city wants quick results, then culling will have to be carried out.

"We are prepared for both options. Hundreds of people have been bitten in a few days. I appeal to critics to listen to victims and their families before objecting to decisive measures."