Street dogs unleash terror in Mussoorie

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[ q url=" http://www.garhwalpost.com/centrenewsdetail.aspx?id=9770;&nt=Uttarakhand The resident  of Mussoorie are the scared lot as te street dogs have increased in the hill station town of Mussoorie.over 600 reports of rabies vaccine administraation ahave been reported by the health officials.Some say they should be poisoned while others say they should be exported to Korea.  MUSSOORIE, 5 Jan: The terror of the rabid canines is not ending in Mussoorie. The recent death of three persons due to dog bite has instilled fear among the residents and tourists, alike. The medical officials at the Civil Hospital say more than 500 persons have been administered rabies vaccine in the year 2008. This goes to show that the residents of Mussoorie are under constant threat of street dogs. 
“The dogs roam free on the road in large groups and, when confronted, they become even more aggressive to the point of biting,” said Shailja, a housewife in Landour Bazaar. Amichand Mangla, a restaurant owner at Landour Bazaar, said that some logical solution had to be worked out to stop this nuisance. Kulanand, a shop keeper in Kulri Bazaar, said that, in the previous years, the stray dogs were relocated or given poison and asked why it could not be done again. 
The owners of private vehicles are the most harassed lot. Sandeep, the driver of a Maruti car, had to undergo a nightmarish experience a few days ago in which some 150 dogs, surrounded his vehicle when a dog they were chasing took refuge under his car. Sandeep had to wait for 2 hours for the problem to end. 
The senior residents are of the view that the pet tax, which was implemented in the past, ought to be reintroduced in the town so that the population of the dogs was kept under check. Also, they requested that garbage not be thrown out on the streets. 
OP Uniyal, President, Nagar Palika, accepted that the street dogs had become a menace for the town, therefore, an order had been passed to relocate the dogs from the town, especially the injured and diseased lot. Nearly 50 dogs per day were being shifted to pet homes or elsewhere. Uniyal also said that the Palika was resolute about ending this excessive population of dogs from the town as soon as possible. The residents are, however, skeptical and say that until a long term solution and an animal sanctuary was not created for the dogs and other such animals, the problem would resurface again in the tourist town, as happened to the Monkey relocation drive. 
Dog Tax in Mussoorie
The dog tax was introduced by the British in Mussoorie according to the “Mussoorie  Guide” Souvenir of 1922. They had a sense and intuition about the problem the dogs could create in the town. The Municipality Act was passed and it stated that every owner of a dog aged 6 months and above had to apply to the Secretary of the board for registration of such dogs. A fee of Rs 3 was to be paid with the application for registration. The owner received a metal token which bore the registered number. Any dog found in a public place unless registered and wearing such a token was to be destroyed.
No person was allowed to take the dog with him on the Mall Road from Charleville Gate to Sylverton Hotel (now Park Plaza) between 4 p.m and 8 p.m. from 16 October to 31
October, unless it was kept on a chain or leash. No servant was allowed to take or lead dogs on the Mall between 4-8 p.m.
The British, on whose Bye-laws the Mussoorie Municipality Board continues to function, had learnt a lot from their experience during the 19th century.
The old residents of Mussoorie are of the view that a similar tax could be re-imposed to keep a check on the people who leave the unwanted garbage on the streets of Mussoorie."] [/q].