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Prevent the Killing of Strays in Neuquén
  1. Signatures
    8,215 out of 10,000
    Petitioning
    1. Neuquén Government (+ 3 others)
      Petitioning
      close
      • Neuquén Government
      • Governor Jorge Augusto Sapag
      • Lieutenant Governor Ana Maria Pechen
      • Minister of Health Ruben Daniel Vincent
  2. Created By
    Carin Zellerman
    Stockholm, Sweden
About this Petition Petition Letter
How We Won

Aug 08, 2010

The day that officials in Neuquén, Argentina planned to start killing 220 dogs a day, they called off the massacre. The stray dogs were going to be killed due to an outbreak of leptospirosis, but following public outcry (including protests staged around the country and emails from over 8,000 Change.org community members), government officials changed their minds and decided to clean up the city dumps where the disease is believed to have originated and to neuter and adopt out the stray dogs. It's a win-win solution: the dogs get to live and the residents get a cleaner city and some great companion animals.

Read the full story on the Animals blog.

Why This Is Important

Thousands of dogs will be killed in Neuquén, after an outbreak of two cases of human leptospirosis. It is not the first time the City decides to exterminate dogs. The council recently approved a proposal for the urgent implementation of an existing ordinance of dog control "in order to decrease the population of these animals". For a duration of four months, strays will be killed to prevent a potential spread of the disease. This includes the killing of healthy dogs and runaways.

http://www.lmneuquen.com.ar/noticias/2010/7/2/70937.php

http://bolsonweb.net/diariobolson/detalle.php?id_noticia=24918

Please urge the government to immediately halt these plans !

Recent Signatures

Eradication of strays to prevent leptospirosis

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am contacting you regarding the plans to eradicate strays in Neuquén, as a measure to control the potential spread of leptospirosis. The proposal to kill stray dogs is not a solution to the problem. I do not support a mass killing of strays and ask that you, for example, launch a project for the serosurveillance of stray dogs, and consequent treatment or vaccination of animals at risk. In dogs, penicillin is most commonly used to end the leptospiremic phase, and doxycycline is used to eliminate the carrier state. These have proven to be effective methods.

I ask that you instead focus on dealing with the environmental risk factors, including water decontamination or the drying of ponds, and standard sanitation methods. Take preventive methods and protective measures, most importantly by raising awareness of how to prevent transmission by avoiding exposure and using protective clothing. Unless the general hygienic degradation in the city is not dealt with, the mindless killing of dogs will not prevent a potential spread of the disease.

I urge for an immediate suspension of this Dog Control operation, on the grounds that it is unethical and unnecessary.

Thank you.

[Your name]