Killing dogs to preserve public safety

A story just came out on CNN which reports that Iraqi officials have been "culling" stray dogs in Baghdad by killing and poisoning them, to reduce disease and attacks on people.

What the fuck?

So far we have spent 596 BILLION dollars on this insane war, and the result is a country where government officials poison and shoot dogs to death?

$596 billion, and there's no money for even the most routine vaccinations or tranquilizer guns?

An Iraqi woman quoted in the article says that "critics of the culling program should consider human rights before animal rights."

That's fantastic that at least some Iraqis have the same ignorant response as many Americans when faced with criticism over our own inhumane treatment of animals: that we cannot care about both human and animal rights.

You would think that some of the billions that we pour every day into this non-winnable war could be used to provide for human medicine AND vaccinations for animals, so that a country that is supposed to be the beacon for democracy in the Middle East would not be forced to deal so brutally with its non-human residents.