Samoa is to begin eradicating stray dogs in preparation for the Small Island Developing States conference in September.
According to the Samoa International Survey last year, stray dogs are high on the dislike list of tourists visiting Samoa, and now the ministry of police, the Animal Protection Society, and the Samoa Tourism Authority are coming together on the issue.
With a target area of Apia town, the police are expected to take delivery of tranquilizer guns in April.
They will tranquilise stray dogs and place them in a shelter made especially for them in Tafaigata.
The CEO of the Samoa Tourism Authority, Papali'i Sonja Hunter, told the Samoa Newsline newspaper the government is very serious about the problem
She says the government of New Zealand is helping the police and eventually a registration program for dogs will begin.
Papali'i says the prime minister has told police the issue needs to be solved before the SIDS conference.
