Killing the Community Dogs in and around

the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy

It was a sad situation in Kandy when people had witnessed community dogs being jabbed with sedatives and then the eventual death of these innocent animals. These incidents have been taking place in and around the Temple of the Tooth (Daladaa Maaligawa) of dogs that are all spayed and also vaccinated against rabies and distemper.

This has been going on for a few nights and on 17/2/2019 around 8 pm this dog in the picture was jabbed with an overdose of drugs and went unconscious. She was being carried away by her legs by two men, accompanied by the man who jabbed the injection.

When a Vet Surgeon visiting the Maaligawa saw the dog and asked the three men what was going on, the man who jabbed the dog with the injection had said that he gave 'Ketamine' and 'Xylesin' and that he is from the KMC and is working on the orders of the Vet Department of the KMC. And as this dog had bitten someone he had to be dumped in Gohagoda Rubbish Dump.

The men, visibly disturbed when questioned, had disappeared when the

Vet intervened, leaving the dog inside the main entrance to the Maaligaawa past the police post. The Vet had asked permission from the police to go in to check the dog and he had seen the dog stop breathing. He had administered

CPR on the dog and stabilised her.

Leaving the dog there resuscitated, he had come out and then he contacted me to tell me what was going on. I asked him to go back to the police post so I could talk to the policeman there and ask him to keep the dog where she is for me to pick her up and take her under our care. But when I spoke to the policeman he said the dog was carried away by the men and put into a tractor and taken away.

The authority to remove dogs from the City of Kandy or even to dump them at Gohagoda is the KMC Vet Department, which denies having anything to do with the removal, dumping or killing. If so, the KMC should investigate and identify the imposter who goes round killing dogs and putting the blame on the KMC Vet Department, and take legal action against him.

I checked with the Governor's office and they too have no idea about what is going on.

The temple blocked the entry to dogs by setting up a mesh around its borders and these spayed and vaccinated dogs live in the outskirts of the Temple of the Tooth and within the town, amongst people who tolerate and love these innocent animals.

When dogs were removed from a KMC complex at Katukelle on the orders of the KMC Commissioner in December 2017 on account of a visit by President Maithripala Sirisena, we complained to His Excellency via his programme “Janapathita Kiyanna” (PRE/2018/N/001172). That complaint was investigated and the decision to ask the KMC to discuss with KACPAW and ensure the safety of the street/community dogs of Kandy was intimated by a letter dated 22 June 2018 by the Central Province Local Government Commissioner to the Mayor of Kandy.

Over to you Mr. President, Governor of the Central Province, Mayor of Kandy and Diyawadana Nilame of the Temple of the Tooth to look into this matter.