HCM CityMore than 50 households in District 4 once filed a request for help from the government because they could not stand the noise and odor of nearly 100 dogs raised spontaneously by one household for many years.
"Even though the door was closed tightly, the smell of pet waste entered the house, causing the family to suffer for a long time," said Mr. Nguyen Kha Ai, 50 years old, who lives in a three-story house in Ward 9, District 4. about the householder keeping too many dogs around.
Mr. Ai said that nearly ten years ago, the house next door only raised a few dogs, then the owner took in new born dogs and sick dogs. Up to now, the house is only 26 square meters but houses nearly a hundred dogs. At noon or at night, when strangers passed by, they barked together and made noise, waking his family up. Many people come to the area to rent space to sell food but cannot maintain it because the smell from dogs that have not been cleaned for a long time is strong.
People in the neighborhood used to come to this householder to warn them, but they responded. By early 2021, more than 50 households in the neighborhood had to apply for help, but the government could not handle it completely. "I also love animals, but raising 1-2 animals instead of raising a whole herd of dogs is not okay, affecting others," Mr. Ai said.
A flock of dogs surrounded the house of a household raising 82 dogs in District 4 when the authorities inspected. Image: Văn Tuấn
Ms. Vo Kim Anh Phuong, Chairman of Ward 9 People's Committee, said that the owner of the above household raised it spontaneously, without notice, the government only knew the information when many neighbors reported it. After being invited to work many times, in March 3, the ward fined this household 2023 million VND for causing environmental pollution. However, the government later had to revoke the decision because the law was not strict despite hiring a company to take waste samples from the dogs for testing.
As for the issue of the number of pets, Ms. Phuong said that up to now there are no regulations so the locality cannot force household owners to reduce them. "When the interdisciplinary team came down to inspect, they all noted the bad smell and noise spreading into the environment but could not handle it due to lack of legal basis," Ms. Phuong said, stating that up to now, many methods have been applied, but the locality has not yet applied them. Owners can be fined even though neighbors continuously complain.
The suffering that many households in Ward 9 endure is also a common situation of many people in Ho Chi Minh City when living next to neighbors who raise many dogs and cats. According to statistics, the city currently has nearly 106.000 households with about 184.000 dogs and cats, of which more than 65% of pets are in inner-city districts with small, limited areas.
A representative of the city's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said there are no regulations, so most farmers do it spontaneously, without notification to the locality. Some households raise a large number of several dozen animals spontaneously as animal sponsors to apply for sponsorship, affecting many surrounding people.
Mr. Le Dang Thang, Vice Chairman of Dong Hung Thuan Ward (District 12), said that in the area, there are households raising more than 20 dogs that create noise and odors. Many times the neighbors reminded this household to reduce the number of flocks and maintain hygiene, but it was ineffective and also caused arguments. The government has checked many times but the situation has not improved.
According to Mr. Thang, even though there is a noise measuring device, when the authorities arrive, the householder has a way to control the dog to stop barking. While dealing with odors, according to the regulations of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, you do not have to use tools to measure, but only need to do it sensoryally, "using your nose to smell".
"The inspection team smelled a strong odor but could not impose a fine because the householder thought this was a subjective opinion and lacked basis," Mr. Thang said. In addition, there are currently no regulations controlling how many children a household can raise, as long as they are fully vaccinated. Therefore, instead of imposing fines, the locality has repeatedly tried to reconcile dog owners and neighbors to avoid conflicts.
Hiep Binh Chanh Ward People's Committee set up a team to catch stray dogs in the area in 2023. Photo: Dinh Van
To limit the situation of dogs and cats causing noise, unsanitary public places, attacking people, and spreading diseases, the city's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is developing temporary regulations on pet management in public places. urban. This is to clearly manage and punish owners who do not comply with existing regulations, affecting people and the environment.
The criteria will be appropriate to the number of livestock per household, attaching responsibility to the owner. When raising animals, they must declare to the government so that the authorities can monitor the herd and prevent and control epidemics. According to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Ho Chi Minh City, the proposal is supported by many communes, wards as well as people because it will help punish violating owners.
Vice Chairman of Dong Hung Thuan Ward Le Dang Thang proposed that there should be regulations on how many children a household can raise on a certain area. He gave the example of a family living in an apartment or townhouse that can only keep a maximum of 5 animals. If it is a small apartment or in a crowded residential area, the number of motels may be less.
"Limiting the number of pets will contribute to reducing noise and odors emitted in residential areas," Mr. Thang said.
Mr. Nguyen Huu Thiet, Deputy Head of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine of Ho Chi Minh City (the unit advising on the proposal), said that the regulations on dog and cat registration that are being consulted for comments state that it is necessary to limit the number of pets in residential areas. housing to limit odors and noise.
Dinh Van
