Bali to control cat and dog population

Bali to control cat and dog population

JAKARTA (JP): Officials in Bali plan to control the population
of cats and dogs in response to foreign visitors' complaints that
islanders neglect the animals.

Head of the Animal Husbandry Office I Wayan Masudana says the
provincial government has received letters from animal lovers,
particularly from Britain and the United States, objecting to the
way the Balinese treat cats and dogs.

The complainants said the two animals deserve better
treatment, Wayan told Antara news agency.

Stray cats and dogs are common in Denpasar and other tourist
resorts on the island. The sight of them appears to have upset
many Western visitors.

"Their complaints are valid," Wayan acknowledged.

He explained, however, that Indonesians in general, and the
Balinese in particular, are not attached to animals to the same
extent as people in the West. Most Indonesians simply don't feel
any responsibility to take care of dogs or cats.

"The few people who have cats and dogs as pets are rich," he
said.

Wayan said the Bali provincial government is planning to bring
the two animals' population under control and will appeal to
people to keep cats and dogs as pets.

Many villagers have taken the initiative and pay people to
catch stray cats and dogs. But they do not know what to do with
the animals because no one is willing to take them, not even for
free, Antara reported. (emb)