Saipan campaign vs stray dogs suspended

Henry Hofschneider, Saipan Mayor’s Office special adviser, told Saipan Tribune that the municipality for three months now temporarily stopped rounding up stray dogs due to the lack of space for impoundment.

He said the dog shelter in Lower Base has yet to be completed, pending the installation of pipes and construction of a wastewater tank. A permit from the Division of Environmental Quality, he added, had just been secured to go ahead with these aspects of the project.

Hofschneider said the lack of funds is also hindering the project’s completion. Since construction began last year, the municipality has already spent roughly over $60,000, he said. That amount excludes other related expenditures for the program’s preparation. He estimates the wastewater tank to cost about $5,000.

He described the $5,000 in remaining funds as not enough for all other necessary things they need to prepare for the facility’s full operation.

The municipality’s stray dog program was initially allocated $75,000 under Saipan Local Law 9-12 for the construction of an animal shelter. However, the project was stalled for many years due to the lack of additional funding.

“We’re targeting to complete all the installations of pipes and wastewater tank by middle of August so we can start using the facility,” he said, adding that they have, in fact, scheduled a meeting this week with the project contractor to expedite the work.

The facility will house 38 individual cells for stray animals. At present, Hofschneider said, the municipality has a large number of stray animals at its temporary impoundment in Chalan Kanoa.

According to him, the construction of the facility is just the first phase of the project and the municipality intends to seek funding for the second phase, which includes the construction of a veterinarian’s clinic and mini-shop and administration office.

Saipan Tribune learned that the Lower Base facility is intended as a temporary shelter only while waiting for additional funds for the construction of a permanent dog shelter in Kagman.

The dog control program was established in 2003 after the mayor’s office was flooded with complaints of victims of stray animals.

Since the suspension of catching stray animals three months ago, Hofschneider admitted that they have been receiving complaints of stray dogs victimizing residents and tourists alike.

Based on a survey conducted by the Northern Marianas College-CREES program in 2010, Saipan has an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 stray animals wandering around villages and communities. Their number continues to increase.

All dogs on Saipan are considered stray unless they are registered with the mayor’s office and are issued government tag numbers. Registration for the program finally kicked off last year where over a thousand animals were issued licenses.