Dear Editor,
Several farmers in different sections of Region #2 which stretches from Pomeroon to Supenaam are now faced with a terrible problem from a stray dog nuisance in which their calves, sheep and goats are being killed and devoured in the backlands there.

Since becoming the first victim about a week ago in my home village at Huis’t Dieren and the neighbouring Middlesex area, a day hardly passes without others suffering likewise with reports of the ongoing vicious attacks by these strays being made promptly at the Aurora police station.

Unfortunately, the police there have not been able to come up with anything tangible to curb the alarming menace and it would only be fitting and proper for some directive to be given urgently by the Minister of Home Affairs for protection.

Never before in the history of the rearing of cattle in these parts of the district have there been such killings.

It is a well known fact that cattle rearing here is the only source of livelihood for many families while it also helps to augment the income of others whose participation even to a lesser extent in promoting the industry is equally important.

As a cattle dealer for some four decades, I was very much startled to see one of my new born healthy calves dead and partly eaten up at the spot where it was left overnight in my pasture.

The strange discovery was made when I went early in the morning as usual to do hand milking where the presence of a gang of dogs was noticeable as they scampered away into the nearby bushes.

My considered opinion for protection from suffering further losses was to get a licenced firearm holder to shoot the dogs and one was eventually killed in my pasture in broad daylight in the presence of several persons.

As news disseminated about the killing of the dog, the owner who lives several miles away by the roadside in the residential area at Huis’t Dieren apparently under a delusion that an unlicensed weapon was used called in the police who took statements from both me and the licensed holder of the gun.

From my understanding, the police also took a statement from the owner of the dog which was not muzzled at the time and kept in a manner as required by law.

The bunch of stray dogs is still on the rampage with some cattle owners as a precautionary measure having built secure pens under their bottom houses to accommodate the calves with such an exercise being very much tedious.

Not too long ago, the same area was plagued with the rapid killing of cattle by jaguars, but after many sleepless nights, the carnivorous animals were shot dead to bring some measure of relief.

Yours faithfully,
Adbool Kamal