Seychelles is a country of animal lovers, with almost every household owning one or more dogs. Some people have dogs to keep their children company especially if they are alone. Some keep dogs as pets, as guardians and for security purpose.

Now, if the dog dies it is expected there is sadness. A dog is normally part of the family. But to keep the animal alive and healthy, a person has to take good care of it. Feed and love it well. Give the dog the attention it requires. But for the dog to stay safe the owner has to keep it well guarded.

It is essential to keep the dog inside your compound because there are threats. If dogs are allowed to stray out into the streets or near bin sites it is most likely for them to face certain bad consequences. For instance, dogs fight each other, yours could be wounded. They could eat rat poison and die.

Is it the government’s responsibility to prevent your dogs from eating rat poison? Who will be the bin keepers at night to look after your dogs? Is it wrong that the authority puts rat poison around bin sites?

Those are questions. The last one is the debatable question. If rats are left to inundate the community will it not be us, humans, who would face bad consequences?

Then we have individual or individuals who may be smuggling in poison. We clearly remember the story of the missing lannate. If the authority catches these people, surely they will be punished, until then, why should fingers be pointed directly at government?

Why do people when grieving their dogs attack people in the authority? Should we lose respect for a minister for example if our dog dies? If the dog had no access to the dustbins then anyone could be responsible for poisoning it?

Even the staff at the Veterinary Services should not be insulted if someone’s dog dies of poison near bin sites. They too are animal lovers or else they would not be doing the job. If a person is to judge our country’s moral values based on a few dishonest persons who kill dogs so that they could rob people’s houses, when dogs stray the streets or bin sites then who’s problem is it, the Minister’s, government’s, the dog’s owner or the thieves?