New York City War on Rats
Photo by Jessica Bal
Let the dogs hunt.
Starting in July, inspectors will visit, the South Bronx, Washington Heights, Chinatown, the Lower East Side -- New York City neighborhoods with the highest concentration of the estimated 16 million rats that live here.
Let the dogs hunt.
They're going to plug up rat holes and pour poison in rodent tunnels all with a $611,000 budget.
Let the dogs hunt.
What the hell am I talking about you ask?
Last year it was reported in the NY Daily News and the New York Times, that groups of dog owners, the Ryders Alley Trencher-fed Society (RATS) took their dogs out to areas in Lower Manhattan to hunt rats. Great for the dogs, great for the rat population in New York City. Of course those "animal rights activists" chimed in with how that was cruel for the rats and dangerous for the dogs.
Give. Me. A. Break.
Dogs hunt. Wolves. Dogs. Canis. Yes, humans have domesticated dogs but there are primitive instincts that your beloved Fido still possess. If trained, you can capitalize on those instincts and have an amazing rodent hunter on your hands.
I've seen many rat traps in city parks, in basements and the rats laugh. I swear they do. They probably raise their children in those traps.
That's what bodega cats are there for -- pest control. Why not let nature take it's course instead of adding poisons to the environment? Well... we'll see what results the plan of attack the inspectors unleash next month can garner. Or will we end up with more of this?