By Naveed Rozais
For the most part, Sri Lanka is an island of animal-lovers. When it comes to stray dogs, there are several organisations and countless individuals who go above and beyond protecting and nurturing those dogs who have no homes.
The Morning Brunch spoke with independent researcher and founder of the Ceylon Street Dog Project (CSDP) Soharni Tennekoon for more insight on what is happening to stray dogs in Sri Lanka at the moment and how they’re faring in the wake of the pandemic. Below are excerpts from the interview.
Tell us a bit about the Ceylon Street Dog Project, how it started and what it does
CSDP is a research project borne out of a deep respect for SL street dogs, and a lifelong interest in canine behaviour, welfare and cognition. To date, the 3-4 million street dogs living in Sri Lanka remain unstudied from a scientific perspective. This seems like an oversight considering the effective strategies available to more humanely manage dog population numbers and welfare.
I set up the Instagram account @ceylonstreetdogproject as a platform to document my findings from my thesis research, while completing my certification in Canine Behaviour & Psychology at ISCP, UK. The overarching themes of my research included the behaviour of street dogs in their natural environments, humane, sustainable Dog Population Management (DPM), human-dog conflict (public health issues, dog bites and rabies), and wildlife-dog conflict (predation, resource competition and rabies).
The goal is to change people’s perspectives on these renowned but little known outliers. To look beyond the stigma that they have no place in society. Street dogs are unique in that they are domesticated organisms that have successfully adapted to scavenging and breeding outside of human control, (unlike pedigrees or other domesticated animals), while also being remarkably perceptive to human behaviour, (unlike wild animals). They tread that fine line between being community animals but capable of independent living. Free roaming but not wild. Studying them not only offers insights into how humans and dogs co-evolved tens of thousands of years ago, (dogs were the first domesticated species), but also, more practically, how to peacefully co-exist in today’s urbanised world.
The pandemic and stray populations: What’s been going on? Have stray populations been growing? If yes, why? Are they being rounded up and taken to shelters?
Sri Lanka has few regulated shelters that abide by WHO/FAO animal welfare standards. Dogs rounded up by authorities and transported to the municipal pound, which, from anecdotal evidence, fall short of these animal welfare standards. Due to a lack of transparency and freely available information on this topic, it is difficult to gauge; however, lockdown news reports include vaccinated and sterilised community dogs wrongfully being caught and impounded by the Colombo Municipal Council. E.g. Vihara Maha Devi Park dogs, Salon Kess dogs, Maharagama dogs.
Aside from the ethical issues of this ad hoc DPM, it is a short term fix to a long term problem; in the long run it is neither cost-effective nor sustainable. Impounding dogs does not get to the root of the problem – the sources of street dogs: Unsterilised roaming pets, abandoned/dumped pets, puppies born on the street, fewer street dog adoptions in favour of purchasing pedigrees.
Non-profit organisation Dog Star Foundation (@dogstarfoundation) explains it well with the overflowing sink analogy; if you have a tap that’s continuously gushing, causing the sink to overflow, emptying it cup by cup is not going to fix the root cause. You need to turn off the tap. The cup method here is catching and impounding dogs that have been vaccinated and sterilised. The tap continues to gush – meaning street dogs from other areas come in to fill that void in search of newly available resources. Often these new dogs aren’t vaccinated or sterilised, which then creates a whole host of new problems. Turning off the tap involves fully understanding the mechanics of DPM dynamics; it’s a long term multisectorial plan that humanely targets the source of dogs: mass sterilisation programs, enacting updated animal welfare legislation, community engagement and more. The most effective is ICAM Coalition’s DPM program that uses the One Health framework.
While the Government of Sri Lanka has commendably implemented islandwide spay/neuter programs, rabies & dog bite awareness, a cohesive structure is lacking in establishing any long term change. Much of it stems from the way we perceive street dog issues. With a lateral shift in perspective, intersectorial collaboration, and more widespread resources, there’s hope.
Why do you think pets are being abandoned?
Pet abandonment can be due to a multitude of baseline reasons, from financial hardship to moving to a new location that doesn’t allow pets, death of an owner, allergies, and behavioural problems.
While it’s an ongoing issue worldwide, a global crisis only exacerbates it. So this question is one that needs to be critically assessed and managed via community engagement. Rolling out responsible dog ownership programs, and providing free resources to empower people with the tools to problem solve their issues is key.
What’s it like for abandoned pets to adapt to living on the streets?
Unlike street dogs that were born on the streets, and skilled enough to survive into adulthood, abandoned family pets lack the survival skills to adapt to fending for themselves like sourcing food and water, navigating road traffic, harassment from humans etc.
Abandoned pets also undergo tremendous stress from separation anxiety from their humans. They often seek out human company from wherever they can – which is not always welcome. This can lead to people resorting to cruel methods to drive them away, sometimes causing injury as well as exacerbating the stress and confusion they feel. Many succumb to starvation and dehydration, fatal injury, and/or disease, making the act of abandonment a death sentence.
What can we do to help strays and abandoned pets, especially in difficult times like these?
Leave out food & water since regular food sources for street animals are restricted (make sure water bowls are regularly changed to prevent dengue mosquitoes breeding). Donate to rescue organizations and feeding programmes. Vaccinate and sterilise your pets, especially if you allow them to roam.
Share photos and videos on social media, tagging rescue organisations. It’s free and helps to crowdsource funds for the dog’s care. (It’s also helpful in case the dog wasn’t intentionally abandoned and his owners are looking for him). Contact vet clinics/ rescues like the Best Care Hospital mobile unit in case of an injured dog. Eg. Best Care Hospital mobile unit.
Don’t judge people on social media for reaching out for help with rehoming a pet. Fear of judgment puts people off from requesting help from online communities thus resorting to silently dumping their dog on the streets.
