STRAY ANIMALS CONTRIBUTE TO ROAD HARZARDS

Stray animals are  defined as animals without ownership. However, in rural areas there are some cases where these animals have owners but these very owners are considered to be very irresponsible. They do not restrict their animals within their compound. Instead these animals are given the right to freedom of movement. This eventually leads to numerous accidents. Take for instance, road accidents whiles damaging someone else vehicle or even resulting in the server injuries or death and they also destroy the land along with crops.
Road safety is assuming ever greater importance and attention as the world grapples with heavier traffic due to the dramatic increase in vehicles that are now on the roadways in almost every country. Consequently, the number of road accidents and fatalities are steadily climbing due to the increase of stray animals on the roadways. Data collected over the past two weeks showed that most of these accidents occurs along the our Highways, the West Demerara Coast, the East Coast and even in the Essequibo Islands. The animals usually come out on the roadways to rest at night. However, due to the lack of proper enforcement of the laws, most of these animals do not have ownership brands to provide the police with information about the owner.
In the evenings it is very difficult to have a clear vision of the road. It is only when you are close to the object then one realized theirs no other alternative but to proceed or sway off the road. Likewise, dogs and cats suddenly runs out into merging traffic which can caused massive corruption.
Data collected from the research showed that citizens were very dissatisfied by the stray animals and they fear for their love ones who can drive or travel in any transportation. However, the amount of stray catchers reduced tremendously since the salary did not meet their necessities. Therefore, a Pounds (Amendment) Bill 2010, which seeks to increase the fee paid to a stray catcher or any other person, for every animal taken to a pound, from $1,000 to $5,000 is welcome but long overdue. It amended Section 4 of the Pounds Act, Chapter 71:04, to raise it because the present fee is too low.
Minister of Home Affairs, Mr. Clement Rohee, in moving the second reading said: “I do not believe that this amendment should attract any significant controversy.” He is definitely correct because the problem of stray animals being on our roads has been with us for a long time and is getting worse almost on a daily basis, particularly in certain parts of the country.
In an interview with one of City Hall representative, superintendent of the City Hall administration David Baily, He claims that the city hall pounds are currently open but there's a low number of staffs employed but they are doing there best to keep the animals of the streets and roadways. He agreed that these stray animals do contribute to road accidents but he noted that the driver must take precaution whiles driving.
Therefore, it can be concluded, that stray animals contribute to traffic havoc. However, the new law has been put in place to ensure the animals owners had to brand there animals and if the animal is found without a brand then they will be termed as government property. Officials also urge citizen to take precaution and keep alert in order to prevent any further accidents.

Stray animals wreaks havoc on campus

Got milk? Well this is no farm; this is what the Turkeyen University campus looks like on a daily basis. Stray animals especially dogs seek refuge on the campus grounds. According to students, these fleas infested mutts are causing havoc.

So far no serious attacks on students have been reported.

Proper disposal of garbage was one of the main recommendations students would like to see implemented by the University’s administration to quell this growing problem.

According to Students currently attending the institution, so far the Administration has made no moves to curb the influx of stray animals on campus.

Efforts to contact the University’s Administration for a comment into the matter proved futile.

STRAY ANIMALS IN GEORGETOWN

HOW DO YOU THINK IT WOULD REFLECT ON OUR COUNTRY, IF WE HAVE STRAY ANIMALS LOOTING IN OUR CAPITAL?

 Guyana is a paradise for nature lovers, adventure seekers, and the eco-tourist alike. We boast an irresistible combination of fascinating and breathtaking natural beauty; pristine Amazonian rainforests; immense waterfalls;, amazing wildlife; blended with a vibrant indigenous culture, rich heritage and the most hospitable and friendly people in the world, said Hon. Manniram Prashad, Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce. However, when last did we took a good look at our capital city?
Guyana is indeed known for its wildlife but are the stray animals that can be found on our streets also considered as part of our wildlife?  Over the past two week, there has been an increase amount of stray animals around the city of Georgetown in areas such as Bourda market, Stabroek market, on the Seawalls near food stales and local food places.
On a daily basis, stray animals primarily dogs and cats can be seen around food places such as churches chicken, pizza hut and local Chinese restaurants. The reason for this is because these animals do not have owners and they are left on their own to survive. Therefore, they hunt in garbage bins for their daily meal or they depend on strangers to leave food for them.  Around the market square, these animals eat waste from the drains and they pull down the bins to find food. This eventually leads to garbage pollution and it contributes to blockage of the drains which eventually leads to flooding. This can be demonstrated every Sunday before the garbage collectors pick up the garbage bins. The dogs and cats hunt the dispose garbage and spread the garbage throughout the streets.
Citizens who resides in Georgetown, argued that over the years, they had to accept the fact that our capital city has a large amount of stray animals and even if they attempt to get rid of these animals more will eventually come. Residence believe that these animals come as a result of irresponsible animals owners who allow their animals to walk freely. They claim that most of these animals came from rural areas and eventually they multiplied as they dwell amongst each other. Most citizens believed that if we stop entertaining the animals especially the dog then they will leave voluntarily. However, they claim the government is doing a poor job in maintaining the standards of the country by having stray animals in the capital.
On the contrary, in an interview with an officer from the City Hall and other members of the local government, it was noted that, pounds are set up in place to capture these animals and maintain peace in the society. The City Hall pound is currently working and the Guyana Traffic Development has recently began a new training project under the supervision of Mr. Glasgo. This project will facilitate individuals who are willing to be a stray animal catcher. Individuals will be sent out in the fields to capture these animals and a penalty will be placed on the animal's owner if they are identify.
Additionally, members of the local government claims, that the government is doing their job in keeping these animals off the roadways in order to prevent accidents, promote a health and safe environment and also to keep and maintain our country standards. However, they pleads that it is the citizens who have to keep the environment clean and free from littering. If the garbage is properly disposed of then the animals will find no food. They also urge citizens not to feed or encourage these animals around food places because if these animals are being entertained then more will come and the issue will never be solved.
Therefore, it can be concluded that Georgetown have a stray animal problem that  needs to be dealt with urgently because it does not reflects good on the country to have animals in our urban areas. It is unhealthy and very frustrating to have stray dogs and cats disturb one whiles having their meal. It also contributes to road accidents and they pollute the environment with garbage, waste from their body and noise. Both citizens and the government have to work together in order to permanently get rid of all the stray animals that lingers around the city especially in the market square, seawalls and food places.

Stray Animals On Campus

Do you believe the University of Guyana has any issues concerning stray animals? ...YES!!!

The University of Guyana is the only institute of advance education in the country since the beginning of 1st, October, 1963. It is an environment where students go to further elevate their knowledge. However, this university is slowly becoming a dwelling place for many stray animals.
Over the past four weeks, it has been keenly observed that there is an increasing amount of stray animals on the campus, primarily dogs. These animals are scattered all over the university and most of them are harmless while a few of them are considered to be vicious.
The university has a humongous amount of vacant land which has not been in use for several years. Cattle owners take advantage of this opportunity to rear their animals. As a result, the cows and goats need supervision and the trained dogs are the 'perfect watchman'. However, these animals are left for days without food and water and eventually they have no other alternative but to hunt for their meal.
Throughout the university of Guyana, there are garbage bins placed at every corner. However, the university currently houses more than five thousand (5000) student. Therefore, it is very obvious that these bins will have to be empty on a regular basis. Unfortunately, from research conducted over the past two weeks, it has been found that the waste materials from these bins are overflowing. This provides a healthy meal for a strays.
Students who have been attending the university for more than three (3) years claims that these animals were part of the campus before they came and eventually they have to accept them. Therefore, it can be concluded that if these stray animals are being entertained with food and shelter then eventually more will come.
These animals are free to do as they please without any restrictions. On a daily basis, these dogs walk among the students on the catwalk, sleep under the vehicles in the campus car park, they pollute the environment with garbage and noise pollutions, they walk into the classrooms while classes are being conducted, play openly in our fields, invite their friends on campus and most of the time lingers around the cafeterias without being disturbed.
Most of these animals are not in their best conditions, their odor is  atrocious and they carry many diseases. Students do not fear being attacked, but they fear for their health. The students believe that the administration is not looking into this issue.  Is this an example that our highest educational institute in the entire country should display?
A university is a place of learning not a dump site. The stray animals alters the surrounding by dragging garbage out the the bins and the wind relocate the garbage to other areas on campus and it also contributes to drain blockages. The cows affect the soil by adding holes which is known as poaching. This makes the university appears as if it has a huge garbage pollution conflict.
The administration body who is in charge of dealing with this issue claims that measures were put in placed to control the situation such as: poisoning the animals, capturing them and taking them off campus but to date there has been no improvement. In addition to this, one of the security guard on campus claims that the university actually feed these animals and keep them for security purposes but have we seen any improvements?
From my observation, it was found that the best solution to the issue would be to construct proper fences around the university to bar these animals from entering, regular garbage collection twice a day, calling the animal control centre to get rid of all the animals, stop entertaining these animals with food and shelter and ensure that all the bins are properly covered and garbage carefully disposed. Promoting a healthy environment leads to progress.