Packs of stray dogs in Moscow’s streets and parks are increasingly attacking people, sometimes with fatal consequences. The government says it plans to spend $US 5 million to tackle the problem.

While homeless dogs have become a part of everyday life in Moscow, their numbers have increased dramatically in recent years. This has led to a greater number of attacks on human beings.

The latest victim is a 55-year-old man who was savaged by a pack of strays while walking through one of the cities biggest parks. Fifty-five-year-old Viktor Gaidarzhinski was walking through a park on his way home from work when he was set upon by wild dogs.

No one knows why they attacked but they ripped off his clothes, bit him all over, causing him to lose huge amounts of blood.

Passers-by forced the dogs off by throwing stones before calling an ambulance. Viktor died in hospital 8 days later.

Tragically this isn’t the first such attack. According to official statistics, more than 27,000 Muscovites were bitten last year – that’s the equivalent of around 70 a day.

Another victim is Ludmilla Kubyshkina. She was three months pregnant when she was bitten by a dog while walking near her home.

Doctors told her she had to choose between keeping her baby and taking a life-saving rabies shot.

“They explained that since the dog was a stray I had to be inoculated. I started a course of injections and ten days later I lost my child,” Kubyshkina said.

But the Moscow government says it is trying to cut the number of dogs on the street, a figure they estimate to be a staggering 30,000.

A project is underway to build 15 shelters for homeless animals by the end of the year at a cost of some $US 64 millions.

According to Natalya Sokolova, Head of Moscow Fauna Department, the authorities have adopted an animal protection programme since 2002. They catch, transport, sterilise and vaccinate the animals, then embed a microchip and release them.

There is another option practiced in many other countries – putting the animal to sleep.

But since 2002, killing homeless animals has been illegal in Moscow. The government is putting its faith in castration instead.

Workers at an animal shelter think sterilising the dogs won’t be enough. All their dogs have been taken from the street to be looked after, with the aim of finding a new home.

Natalia Hromeshina – member of the animal shelter staff – says it’s not only the dogs that should be trained, but people. She says the population needs to learn how to co-exist with dogs peacefully.