XN000022-1985-05-14 — Page 30

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TUESDAY, MAY 14, 1985

DR HUANG WHO IS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE, SAID THE STREETS ARE CLEANED REGULARLY BY THE COUNCIL'S STREET SWEEPERS AND AT INTERVALS BY THE STREET WASHING GANGS.

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AT PRESENT THERE ARE SOME 290 DOG LATRINES IN THE URBAN AREA AND ABOUT 150 PROSECUTIONS ARE TAKEN OUT EACH MONTH AGAINST OWNERS PERMITTING THE IR ANIMALS TO FOUL THE STREETS.

THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS RECEIVED BY THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT ON THIS SUBJECT HAS ALSO FALLEN TO ABOUT ONE OR TWO EACH MONTH AS COMPARED WITH ABOUT 14 A MONTH IN 1980.

HE ASSURED THE COUNCIL THAT THE DEPARTMENT WOULD CONTINUE TO KEEP UP ITS LAW ENFORCEMENT AND PUBLICITY .MOMENTUM IN ORDER TO PREVENT THE PROBLEM FROM DETERIORATING

IN THE FUTURE.

TURNING TO THE CANINE POPULATION, DR HUANG SAID THERE ARE NO ACCURATE STATISTICS AVAILABLE BUT HE BELIEVED THAT THE DOG POPULATION IS CURRENTLY ON THE DECLINE AFTER THE LAST RABIES CRISIS.

+I UNDERSTAND THAT JUST OVER 30 000 DOG LICENCES, EACH VALID FOR THREE YEARS, ARE ISSUED ANNUALLY BY THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT, AND APPROXIMATELY 11 000 STRAY DOGS ARE DESTROYED EACH YEAR,+ HE SAID.

AS FOR THE WEIGHT OF DOG EXCRETA COLLECTED FROM STREETS OR DOG LATRINES, DR HUANG SAID THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT DOES NOT KEEP SUCH STATISTICS.

HE STRESSED THAT DOG EXCREMENT WHICH MAY CARRY DISEASE GERMS AS ANY OTHER ANIMALS WASTES, IS NOT A SUBSTANTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH RISK IN HONG KONG AT THE PRESENT.

+A TERRITORY-WIDE BLITZ OPERATION IS GOING TO BE CONDUCTED THIS SUMMER, AND EDUCATIONAL PAMPHLETS WILL BE DISTRIBUTED TO DOG-OWNERS,+ DR HUANG SAID.

+THESE PAMPHLETS WILL INCLUDE AN ELEMENT OF WARNING ON THE POTENTIAL HEALTH RISKS POSED BY DOGS FOULING STREETS.

+SO DOGGIES AND DOG-OWNERS BEWARE+ HE WARNED.

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