In Kabul's Streets, Dogs Rule the Night - The New York Times - 0 views
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Almost every city in the world has to deal with street crime, and some with dog packs. But few, if any, have to navigate such an underworld while also confronting unrelenting war.
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Civilians in Afghanistan’s capital live in constant fear of being killed in a targeted attack as the war with the Taliban and other extremist groups drags on. But at night, a different war is being fought — against criminals, and packs of stray dogs stalking the streets.
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The stray dogs roam throughout the city and are a strange and sad fixture of Kabul, known for snapping, snarling and attacking people passing by, mostly those just trying to eke out a living. By day, the animals rest, conserving their energy until twilight, when they, along with the criminals, command the streets.
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Despite repeated efforts from the city’s municipality to kill them — and the presence of several shelters, Afghan pet owners and empathetic dog-friendly foreigners eager to adopt — the animals thrive in the streets.
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Rabies vaccinations are frequent, especially in Kabul, and take a chunk out of the Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health budget. It spends around $200,000 a year on the vaccines across the country, said Masouma Jafari, a spokeswoman for the ministry.
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“If you carry anything after 7 at night they will attack you,” Mr. Ahmad Shah said, referring to both the thieves and the hounds.
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“The government and the police, they do what they can,” Mr. Ibraheem said. “But they don’t have the capacity to fight dogs, terrorists and thieves.”