A large number of stray dogs in Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) areas have become a source of constant nuisance for the residents as the authorities concerned have yet to take effective measures to eliminate them various localities.
Incidents of dog bite had also been increasing in the RCB areas due to lack of initiative regarding operations against the stray dogs by the quarters concerned. Residents of the area, particularly children, women and aged persons, could not go outside their homes even during day time due to the fear of being attacked by the stray dogs. “We cannot send our children to schools alone and we have to accompany them up to pick and drop points,” said a house wife residing in the cantonment area. Stray dogs could be seen on the main roads and streets of RCB areas, particularly Allama Iqbal Colony, Tench Bhatta, Dhok Syedan, Kiani Road, RA Bazaar, Dhoke Chaudrian, Afshan Colony and several other RCB localities.
The residents of cantonment while talking to APP said that they were not only scared to walk on the roads and streets but many of them were even stopping their children from playing outside. “The numbers of stray dogs in our area are increasing rapidly for the last several months,” said Tariq, a Peoples Colony resident. He said that no proper planning to purge the area of these stray dogs had been developed by the authorities concerned. “I keep my doors locked at all times and never allow my children to the park to play,” said Faha, a resident of Cantt. “The dogs are usually seen around garbage heaps during the day, while they wander on the roads and streets during the night,” said another resident of the cantonment area. He said the dogs usually moved in small groups and would become violent when pedestrians passed by any pack of stray dogs.