Groups oppose plan to cull stray, unlicensed dogs on Rota

A public notice from the Rota Municipal Council ordering residents of the island to secure their pet dogs because of a plan to “destroy” unlicensed and unclaimed dogs following a rounding up operation is being criticized by animal groups.

Boonie Babies Rescue founder Aria Keilbach said that, to her knowledge, Rota does not have an animal shelter or access to euthanasia drugs, which are both crucial to addressing an overpopulation of stray dogs. 

“Overall, the entire CNMI needs reliable, easy access to these animal resources in order to help the community members and dogs of the Marianas,” she said.

Keilbach agrees, though, with the municipal council that stray dogs are indeed a threat to the community and visitors on Rota. “Dogs running loose are at risk of many dangers and also can be problematic for community members and tourists if they are running around unsupervised and possibly being territorial.” 

Having community members secure their pet dogs will not only help the government distinguish between stray and pet dogs but will also help create a safer environment for people on Rota.

Keilbach said it’s not safe for the community nor humane for the animals themselves to have strays roaming the island. 

“The overpopulation of stray dogs suffering from so many ailments in the wild will continue to reproduce with no end in sight without access to spay/neuter services. Therefore, these animals will continue suffering on the streets and succumbing to slow, painful deaths and cruelty. It is in the best interest of both the community as well as the generations of suffering dogs to get the strays off of the streets,” she said.

Saipan Cares for Animals’ Beth Pliscou quoted Mahatma Gandhi in describing the situation on Rota and how the CNMI handles its overpopulation of dogs.

According to Gandhi: “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”

Pliscou said, “Obviously, a spay/neuter program, available to all, is a proactive way to end this problem rather than ignoring the situation until it is completely out of control and mass euthanasia is the only option.”

She described the municipal council’s plan to cull stray dogs as “shortsighted thinking.”

Rota Mayor Aubry Hocog said the municipal council needs to follow what Saipan is doing to address the stray dog population on Rota in the most humane way. “We have many families on Rota who treat their pets as loved ones, so we need to be considerate of how this is approached and executed,” she said.

Hocog added while the municipal council is tasked with this responsibility, she does know they are making preparations to identify the best plan of action to address this. “I believe they are first starting off with having all dogs registered,” she said.

Under Rota local law, any dog found to be without a license shall be caged and if the owner does not claim and license the dog within five days it shall be disposed of in the most humane procedure or via means that are reasonably available.