Six nursing wounds after dog attacks in Masaka City

Residents of Kimaanya-Kabonera Municipality, Masaka City are living in fear after stray dogs attacked them and left six people injured. PHOTO/ FILE

Residents of Kimaanya-Kabonera Municipality in Masaka City are living in fear after stray dogs attacked them and left six people injured.
The most affected are in Mwalo Village, where several domestic animals have been attacked and killed by stray dogs.

The dogs that are said to be loitering around in groups of 10 or more are believed not to be immunized which exposes the victims to rabies. The treatment of rabies is relatively expensive with the post exposure vaccine going for between Shs150,000 and Shs300,000 for a complete dose.
So far, four children and two adults have been attacked by stray dogs.

“The dogs invaded our village on Sunday. We are all living in fear and our children who walk to schools and spring wells to fetch water are at risk of being attacked by these stray dogs,” Mr Henry Buule, the defense secretary of Mwalo Village said.
Mr Zakaria Mbaalu, 63, told this reporter that at around 8pm on Sunday, he was attacked by a dog as he attempted to close the door to the loafing shed for his goats.

“It pounced on me, started biting me on the right leg and seriously wounded me,” Mr Mbaalu said.
According to Mr Mbaalu, he rushed to Masaka Regional Referral Hospital, but he did not get treatment and was advised to go to Entebbe Hospital.
“I did not have enough money and decided to stay home because I am told each dose costs Shs40, 000 which I cannot afford,” Mr Mbaalu said.

Another victim Tonny Kasekende, 11,  said that on Monday at around 8:30am while drawing water from the well, a  dog pounced on his leg, leaving him with serious injuries.
He was also rushed to Masaka Regional Referral Hospital but was referred to Entebbe for treatment.
“Because we do not have enough money, we sought the help of a traditional healer who gave us some herbs which we are currently using,” his mother Ms Agnes Zalwango said.

Ms Zalwango said her son has missed school yet they are starting end of term examinations next week.
Mr James Tamale, the vice chairperson Mwalo Village said two of his goats were bitten by the dogs.
“One of the goats is pregnant and it has many wounds which were inflicted on it by a stray dog,” Mr Tamale said.
Kimaanya-Kabonera Municipality town clerk, Mr Ibrahim Mutebi said they have already received numerous reports about dog attacks and plans are underway to address it. 

“We have earmarked Shs 10 million in the 2022/2023 budget towards killing stray dogs which has proved to be a big problem in our area,” Mr Mutebi added.
This is not the first time stray dogs are becoming a menace in Masaka District.
At the height of increased dog bites in 2017, police in the district resorted to a shoot-to-kill approach to contain the problem.

By the time police intervened, the affected residents had killed at least eight stray dogs using spears and machetes. At least 40 stray dogs were killed in 2017.
Over the years, the World Animal Protection, an international nongovernmental organisation that looks at the welfare of animals, has been calling  upon local urban authorities to stop the habit of poisoning dogs as a way of exterminating them, arguing that it is an inhuman act and not acceptable internationally.