Stray dogs in Moscow, Russia have learned how to find food in urban areas more easily.
Most notably, the dogs have learned how to take the subway into town and get off at the right stop. They have also found ways to improve their chances of getting food by sending the cuter dogs to get food, begging from children, and knocking down snacks from unsuspecting pedestrians.
A group of dog hunters is organizing online to exterminate the dogs, claiming that they’re a nuisance. Moscow’s dog owners oppose the cull, claiming that the tactics used by the hunters could kill domesticated animals.
The dogs’ unusual behavior started after the fall of the Soviet Union, when their sources of food moved from the suburbs to urban areas. Using the subway not only allows the strays to get into the city, but also provides a place of shelter where the animals can sleep away from the elements.
They often choose the quietest cars at the front and back. Packs of dogs stick together and help each other get off at the right stop.
Unfortunately for the dog packs, some Moscow citizens are taking a stand, saying that they want to “clean the city of the fanged pests.” They plan to start north of Moscow and work their way across the city, where they will plant meat laced with a deadly dose of tuberculosis medicine.
The vigilante group of hunters have killed an estimated 1,500 dogs in recent years. They communicate via online message boards, where they plan outings and post pictures and stories of dogs they killed. The moderator of one board is trying to lay down guidelines to make sure that the dogs are killed humanely. He strives to ban methods like hiding poison, fishing hooks, or broken glass in the meat.
This is not enough for many Moscow pet owners. They are taking a stand after 70 domesticated dogs became ill and three died in the last cull. Rewards have been offered for the hunters’ captures, and the dog owners have organized protests.
Though the dogs’ adaptations have impressed animal lovers around the globe, their behavior hasn’t won over some Moscow citizens who seek to exterminate them. With the help of pet owners fearing for their dogs’ safety, however, they might live to ride the rails another day.
~Rachel A.