The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) urged residents in a statement yesterday not to feed strays as it creates large amounts of food waste and seriously affects environmental hygiene.
The statement pointed out that the bureau sends cleaning teams every day to inspect all the municipal parks, noting that it cleaned up more than 17,400 items of food waste, totalling over five tonnes, last year.
According to the statement, the bureau understands that residents care for stray animals, but leaving food waste in public places violates the “general regulation of public space”, adding that the food leftovers have a serious effect on environmental hygiene. The statement pointed out that leftover raw meat causes an odour in the affected area and also attracts mosquitos and rodents. The statement also said that the situation could even affect the city’s COVID-19 pandemic control and prevention measures.
The bureau once again urged residents not to feed strays in public spaces. The statement also said that the bureau continuously promotes the idea of protecting animals, the responsibilities of a pet owner, and the importance of desexing their pets.
According to the statement, multiple municipal parks such as the Guia Hill Municipal Park, Dr Sun Yat Sen Municipal Park, and Mong Ha Hill Municipal Park, have long-time problems with leftover food for strays at different locations, thereby creating extra loads of rubbish. The statement said that, for example, the Guia Hill Municipal Park needs to be cleaned three times a day and each time it takes two hours.
Meanwhile, in a separate statement, the bureau said that last year 671 stray cats and dogs were returned to their owners or adopted.
According to the statement, the municipal kennels trapped and took in 822 stray animals last year, 82 percent of which were returned to their owners or adopted, a “significant increase” after the current Animal Protection Law came into force in 2016. The statement also said that 111 animals were euthanised for health reasons, a 40 percent decrease compared to before the Animal Protection Law came into force.
The statement also noted that the municipal kennels have given 7,375 doses of animal vaccine, implanted 2,459 microchips, performed 1,284 desexing surgeries and provided medical services 6,785 times last year.
The statement stressed that animal protection and care work have continuously improved animal’s well-being and health, underlining that that the bureau has strictly imposed the idea of pet owner responsibility and the protection of public hygiene and safety.
The statement pointed out that in order to prevent stray animals affecting the ecosystem, the bureau follows the TNA scheme – trap, neuter and adoption – to lower the number of stray animals experiencing health problems or other risk, adding that ultimately the bureau aims to lower the number of strays.
The statement noted that the bureau and animal protection groups have hosted 38 school talks and 22 adoption sharing sessions, with the participation of 4,489 people. The statement noted that the bureau also hosted six promotion booths about pet owner responsibilities, adding that 2,227 people visited the booths. For more information about animal protection promotion, residents can visit https://www.iam.gov.mo/canil.
This undated handout photo provided by the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) yesterday shows a cleaner collecting leftover food in one of the city’s municipal parks.
This undated photo shows three stray kittens looking down from an abandoned building in the city centre at night. Photo: Lesley Wells
