DR JOHN WEDDERBURN 韋禮彬醫生

致離島區區議員余麗芬女士的公開信 July 10, 2014

親愛的余女士，

我相信您應該認識我，我是一位自1997年已在南丫島居住的退休醫生。在此以前，我曾在港島山頂區行醫24年。我認為 閣下對於南丫島的貓狗問題並未完全了解，而我想指出，認識狗隻的不同類別尤為重要。

我初來南丫島的時候，貓狗的情況均非常惡劣。單在南丫北段住宅區一帶，我們已點算到有30隻流浪狗和750隻流浪貓。Lamma Animal Protection (LAP) 及南丫島動物保護組織Lamma Animal Welfare Centre（LAWC）在愛護動物協會（SPCA）的協助下，利用捕捉Trap、絕育Neuter、放回Return (TNR)，將流浪貓數目降至100隻以下，而由於居民要求保留一些貓貓，我們並沒有再作行動，進一步減低貓隻數目。

我們已經辨認到南丫北的全部的流浪狗，並替牠們全部找到家。過去10年，南丫北段已經沒有流浪狗。若有人在榕樹灣棄狗，我們都能很快找到並作適當處理。

現在仍然有一些無人看管的狗兒在街上遊蕩，但牠們都是屬於不負責任的主人。這些便是引起最多投訴的狗兒，也讓其他所有狗狗無辜蒙上污名。LAWC及漁護處都曾經針對這些問題開展過一些教育活動。有一些主人會在他們上班時會讓他們的狗兒整天到處遊蕩，然而另一個更大的問題是一些懶惰的主人，不帶他們的狗狗去散步，而只是打開門任由他們走到街上到處便溺。要解決此問題，需要教育及執法。要在這方面有成效並不容易，因為這些不負責任的主人一般都不聞不問。但是我們必須堅持這方面的工作。

還有一類是野狗，牠們在山上生活，怕人，一般人絕少遇上，有人走近牠們會立刻躲進叢林，牠們善良而且絕不會作出攻擊。他們出

沒的唯一證據可能是一些打開的垃圾桶。在2005年，我們與漁護處及愛護動物協會為這些野狗展開了一個TNR計劃。而要用TNR達到控制流浪狗數目，必須能替70%野狗絕育，而若要完全消滅整個狗群，絕育率就要達到85%。當我們的計劃的絕育率達到大約50%的時候，在1998年10月，漁護處突然改變政策，令進行TNR違法。自此，野狗的數目逐步上升，特別是在蘆鬚城，該處村民會定期餵飼。在2008年，愛護動物協會聯同漁護處曾嘗試再次開展TNR的試驗計劃，可惜此項原本打算在蘆鬚城開始的TNR遭到離島區議會的反對，因而擱置。

過去6年，為控制此問題，LAWC一直嘗試將初生的小狗從狗窩帶走，並替牠們尋家，然而這並非一個可持續的方法，畢竟想領養狗狗的家庭到現在都已經至少養有一隻。沒有人，包括愛狗人士想野狗繼續存在。捕捉殺滅或限制牠們的糧食作用不大，留下毒餌對於野生物種和小孩都非常危險。漁護處曾經多次派出巡邏隊嘗試捕捉殺滅，但他們每次只能捉到一兩隻狗。 閣下建議用斷絕糧食令狗兒餓死以達到減少數目亦不行，因為垃圾桶是永遠沒蓋好，以及牠們可在野外找尋食物（例如老鼠）。

唯一可以解決野狗 問題的方法是TNR。 離島區議會必須盡快通過此計劃。我正式要求 閣下在下一次區議會會議中提出動議，讓離島區議會可以批准進行TNR。

順帶一提，我並非「愛狗人士」，我只是深信萬物生而平等。

期望您能盡快回覆，並給予意見，我樂意隨時與您討論有關問題。

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Open Letter to Ms Yu Lai Fan, Islands District Councillor

Dear Ms Yu

I think you know me - I am a retired doctor living on Lamma Island since 1997. I worked on the Peak for 24 years before coming here. I believe you have not a complete understanding of the dog and cat problems on Lamma. It is particularly important to understand the different categories of dogs.

When I first came here the situation for dogs and cats was very bad. We counted 30 stray dogs and 750 stray cats living in the built up areas of North Lamma. With the Lamma Animal Protection (LAP) and the Lamma Animal Welfare Centre (LAWC) and the help of the SPCA, we used Trap, Neuter and Return (TNR) to reduce the number of stray cats to less than 100 - we did not reduce the number further because the local residents wanted to keep some.

We identified all the stray dogs and found homes for them all - for the last ten years there have been NO stray dogs in North Lamma. If a new dog is dumped in Yung Shue Wan, he is quickly identified and dealt with.

There are still some dogs wandering unsupervised in the streets but these are irresponsibly owned dogs. These are the dogs which give rise to most of the complaints and give all dogs a bad name. LAWC has conducted several education programmes, as has AFCD. Some owners allow their dogs to wander around the whole day while they are at work. But the bigger problem is lazy people who, instead of taking their dogs for walks, just open the door to let them do their toilet in the street. The solution to this problem lies in education and law enforcement. Progress is slow because the owners are really irresponsible and just don't care. However, we shall persist with our efforts.

There is one more category of dog - the feral dogs who live in the hills. These dogs you hardly ever see as they are frightened of humans. They are gentle animals and disappear into the bushes if you approach - they never attack. The only evidence of them is usually opened garbage bins. In 2005 we started a TNR programme for these dogs in conjunction with AFCD and SPCA. It is necessary to desex more than 70% to reduce the numbers and 85% to eliminate the entire population. We had achieved desexing of about 50% of the population when, in October 2008, AFCD had a sudden change of policy, deciding that doing TNR was illegal. Since then the feral dog numbers have steadily increased - particularly in Lo So Shing where villagers feed them regularly. Since 2008 SPCA has been working with AFCD to start trial programmes of TNR.
Unfortunately the Islands District Council (IDC) saw fit to reject the trial proposed for Lo So Shing.

Over the last six years LAWC has controlled the problem by taking the pups from their nests and finding homes for them. But this policy is not sustainable as everyone who wants a dog now has at least one. Nobody wants feral dogs to be there, least of all dog lovers. Catching and Killing will never work, neither will restricting their food. Putting down poison is too dangerous as wildlife and children are put at risk. AFCD sends out patrols to Catch and Kill dogs but they never catch more than one or two. Your idea of starving them out will not work as the garbage bins are never secure and there are also various natural sources of food, such as rats.

The only solution to the feral dog problem is TNR. IDC must allow this as soon as possible. I hereby formally request you to introduce a motion at the next IDC meeting to authorise TNR.

By the way, I am not a "dog lover" - I just believe in justice for all.

I look forward to your early reply and comments. I shall be happy to discuss all this with you at any time.

Yours sincerely,

John Wedderburn.

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Why AFCD's "sudden change of policy" in 2008? The same councillors told them to.

The councillors' only response will be to ask for more catch and kill.

Politically, they're reflecting their constituents. They just say "Dogs a problem? Kill them". If you release dogs, then the government knows that if anyone ever gets bitten by a dog, any dog, they will be blamed. No matter how much the risk is reduced, it will never be zero. So AFCD won't advise otherwise.

I wonder how many of the dog-owning yuppies here vote, or are even registered on the electoral roll as living on Lamma?
All the grannies are registered voters, and they get their dim sum, so they support the DAB. If you aren't a voter, you have no leverage at all. If you want YLF to listen you have to show her that she will win votes (or lose them if she doesn't). She doesn't care about anything else. Logical arguments are irrelevant.