A task force in American Samoa that's been working to control the territory's stray dog population has welcomed recent government attention.
The Governor, Lolo Matalasi Moliga, has called on departments on the Animal Care and Control Task Force to step up efforts to catch stray dogs after the hospital was sued by someone who was bitten by a stray dog there.
Since the last cabinet meeting, the task force has started trapping dogs around the hospital and work has started to build kennels to hold dogs that are picked up from all over the territory.
A veterinarian, Dr Brenda Smith, says the task force has already seen a difference in villages where it conducts spray and neuter clinics.
Photo: AFP