THE Mauritius government has decided to privatise the job of collecting and putting down stray dogs. It claims the Mauritius Society For the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals can no longer do the job. Stray dogs are a serious problem in Mauritius. The animals are all over the place, including important public places like the airport, beaches, hotels and restaurants. Measures by the society to educate people in order to reduce the number of strays have so far been ineffective.