New Bill Strengthens Dog Laws

By the end of October, the House of Representatives is expected to vote on a new bill that strengthens the laws for dogs, making it illegal to keep them on balconies, terraces and public buildings. Owners will be allowed to have dogs in their apartments.

However, the bill does not address the issue of neutering stray dogs and testing them for contagious diseases like elrichia and/or leishmania, and it doesn't create a national programme for fostering animals that are taken to the state pounds, and usually euthanised. It's left up to the privately-run animal shelters to try and rescue the dogs in the pounds, and the rescuers often face difficulties even entering these state-run facilities, say animal rescuers.

There is a state-run cat neutering programme that is helping to keep the cat population in check and supporting animal lovers who provide homes for cats, and this has been well-received.

The new dog laws will no doubt help to reduce noise from barking, and there have been big steps forward as far as protecting animals is concerned, but the fundamental problem of stray dogs has to be managed more efficiently and the slaugher of strays must also stop, and alternatives be found.