St Kitts and Nevis: The Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) has made an effort to address the problem of a hike in the number of dog attacks on the farms that led to the destructive force over the years, which further dramatically reduced the population of animals on the islands.
The Federation of St Kitts and Nevis has recognized the problem, and Chief Veterinary Officer in the Department of Agriculture, Dr. Lesroy Henry, stated that the dog attacks had witnessed a decline as the small ruminant population by 20 percent last year. He addressed an interview on March 30, 2022.
He exclaimed, “In the first quarter, the country had 150 sheep and goats in the region that were either killed or wounded by dogs, while in the second half, it has increased to as high as 250. On the other hand, the mark stood at 150 again in the area in the third quarter and it stood at 80 in the last quarter.”
In all the cases, the killing and wounding of the animals have posed a problem to the food security of the Federation and there is a dire need to address the matter from a departmental point of view, Chief Veterinary Officer added.
Dr Henry further stated that the Department of Agriculture has encouraged and urged the farmers to build dog-proof pens, which could combat the problem, so the government has decided to provide the various materials related to it to the farmers.
He said, “They would have to create a concrete and suitable structure at the base of the pen so that it could be used through the strong materials such as board, wire and galvanize, to ensure the restrictions on the entry of dogs in these pens.”
The officer further informed that the Department of Agriculture has tried to implement the erection of a dog pound and affirmed that the government could also employ trappers so that they can come out of the field and catch the dogs if possible.
