News
Animal welfare groups call for humane collaboration at Royal Colombo Golf Club
A coalition of animal welfare organizations and individual advocates has called on The Royal Colombo Golf Club to collaborate on humane solutions for managing community dogs, amid concerns over proposed internal regulations scheduled for discussion on February10, 2026.
In a joint letter addressed to the Club’s President, Captain, and Committee, the groups urge management not to proceed with clauses 8A.5.1–8A.5.3 in their current form, arguing that blanket prohibitions on feeding or caring for community animals may lead to unintended and harmful consequences.
Instead, the coalition has offered to work with the Club and like-minded members to implement sterilization, vaccination, identification, and controlled feeding in a designated peripheral area away from the golf course itself. They say this approach aligns with internationally recognized best practice and Sri Lanka’s public health objectives.
The groups have also raised serious concerns about past actions allegedly taken in 2025, during which, they claim, community dogs were captured and removed from the premises and dumped elsewhere without due process. They argue that such actions, if verified, would be inconsistent with Sri Lankan law and established animal welfare standards.
Under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance No. 13 of 1907 causing unnecessary suffering to animals—including through improper transport, abandonment, or displacement—is an offence. Animal welfare advocates note that forcibly relocating community dogs often results in injury, starvation, territorial conflict, and increased rabies risk, and is widely discouraged by veterinary authorities.
“Removal is not a solution—it creates a vacuum,” said one campaigner. “Sterilized and vaccinated dogs stabilize an area. Dumping them elsewhere only transfers suffering and risk.”
The coalition stresses that their appeal is not confrontational but collaborative. They point out that humane dog management programmes have been successfully implemented in other high-profile and sensitive locations in Sri Lanka, with the cooperation of management and staff.
“This is an opportunity for the Royal Colombo Golf Club to demonstrate leadership,” the letter states, “by adopting a humane, lawful, and socially responsible approach consistent with its heritage and standing.”
As public awareness grows, animal welfare groups say they hope the Club will engage openly and choose dialogue over division.
Representatives from the ’The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce’ met with Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya on Wednesday [24th of June] at the Parliament premises.
During the meeting, discussions focused on the Sri Lanka Economic and Investment Summit 2026 (SLEIS 2026), which is scheduled to be held on 12 and 13 October 2026. Attention was also given to digitalization initiatives, the introduction of digital technologies in schools under new education reforms, and the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Sri Lanka’s education sector.
Representatives of the Chamber noted that the summit would serve as an important platform for encouraging both local and foreign investment, while also contributing to the shaping of the country’s future economic policies.
The meeting was attended by Krishan Balendra, Chairman of The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce; Vinod Hirdaramani, Deputy Vice Chairman; Shiran Fernando, Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer; Aliki Perera, Deputy Secretary General and Chief Operating Officer; and Anagi Rodrigo-Weerasekera, Chief Economist and Head of Economic Intelligence, along with several other representatives.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
A discussion to review the progress of the housing project under which 4,700 houses are being constructed for the Malayagam community with Indian assistance was held this afternoon (24) at the Presidential Secretariat under the chairmanship of the Chief of Staff to the President, Prabath Chandrakeerthi.
Under this housing programme, 2,026 houses are to be provided to families identified by the National Building Research Institute (NBRI) as being at disaster risk. The remaining houses are expected to be allocated to eligible workers residing in the plantation sector.
Accordingly, the houses will be provided to Malayagam community families living on estates belonging to 22 Regional Plantation Companies, as well as estates under the State Plantations Corporation, Janawasama and Elkaduwa Plantations.
For the construction of each house, the Government of India has allocated Rs. 2.8 million, while the Government of Sri Lanka has contributed Rs. 400,000.
During the discussion, Chandrakeerthi instructed officials to ensure that the housing project is completed before the end of this year. He further directed that land identified for the construction of houses be released without delay and that the National Building Research Institute provide the necessary reports to identify suitable land for the project.
The housing project is being implemented jointly by the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure, the National Housing Development Authority, the State Engineering Corporation and the Plantation Human Development Trust.
Among those present were Additional Secretary (Development) of the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure, K. S. Wijayakeerthi; Director General (Engineering), N. D. N. Pushpakumara; Director General (Planning), W. A. K. S. Damayanthi; the Secretary General of the Planters’ Association; and officials from the National Housing Development Authority, the State Engineering Corporation, relevant institutions and plantation companies.
(PMD)
It has been reported that Attorney at Law Rakitha Rajapakshe, the son of former Minister of Justice Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, has been arrested by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) over alleged links with the underworld.
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