HÀ NỘI — Dog owners have become much more aware of their responsibilities in Hà Nội’s Thanh Xuân District since authorities began catching stray dogs in September, the district’s people’s committee has said.

Speaking at a conference reviewing the crackdown on stray dogs to fight rabies yesterday, vice chairwoman of the committee Lê Mai Trang said stray dogs posed impacts on traffic safety, environmental sanitation and public security.

There were more than 2,300 dogs in the district, she said.

The crackdown aimed to raise people’s awareness on how to properly raise dogs. After the crackdown was launched, dogs found on the streets without owners had reduced, she said.

She said the district was the first unit to implement the catch of stray dogs.

Since this September, the five-person dog catching team have patrolled the streets and alleys once a week on average. Dogs without owners, collars or muzzles wandering are detained.

The dogs would be fed and taken care after that. Owners would have to pay VNĐ500,000 (US$21.56) for the service along with a fine from VNĐ100,000-1 million ($4.1-41.6)

After three months, 12 dogs have been caught. Of the 12, the owners of nine dogs have claimed their pets and paid fines of VNĐ6.3 million ($271) in total.

The three unclaimed dogs have been handed over to the Pet Research and Protection Centre under the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Mai Thị Lan Hương, head of the district’s veterinary centre, said catching stray dogs was tough due to a shortage of staff and equipment.

Lê Bá Mão, head of the dog-catching team in Khương Đình Ward said the team would be more effective if they had specialised trucks, something dog catchers in HCM City have.

At the conference, Trang said the committee would study policies to support the dog-catching team.

The veterinary centre plans to create three zones to take care of stray dogs and will asked the city’s authority for help solving cost problems.

Government Decree 90/2017 stipulates that owners of stray dogs, collars or muzzles wandering are be fined between VNĐ 600,000-800,000 ($25-33).

The owners have 72 hours to come to pay a fine or the dogs may be put down. — VNS