Stray dogs terrorize Norilsk

Stray dogs in Russia’s northern city of Norilsk are getting out of control. Yesterday, a 5-yearold boy was attacked by 5 big dogs. The boy proved lucky enough – a policeman, who happened to be walking nearby, drove the dogs away. Yet, the boy was seriously hurt – he was hospitalized and currently is undergoing an intensive care. If it was not for the policeman, the infuriated dog would have torn the boy into pieces. The other day, again in Norilsk, a pack of stray dogs assaulted two schoolgirls who were returning home from classes. Luckily, the girls manages to get away with it, although with scratches and their clothes torn. Those incidents have become a commonplace in town, while stray dogs have long been a serious problem for Norilsk. A decade ago, when a transition to market economy started, it was accompanied by an overall impoverishment. So, many pets were turned out into the street by their masters who became unable to keep them. Since then, the number of stray dogs in Norilsk has dramatically increased. They are becoming more and more aggressive, they huddle together and attack people. To tackle the problem, the Norilsk city hall has scheduled for today a special raid – stray dogs will be captured, immobilized, and taken to an enclosure where they will be kept up to 10 days. If, during this time, the master does not show up, the captured dogs will be sterilized or “put to sleep.” Simultaneously, the city administration has called on the residents not to turn their pets out into the street.