A disturbing piece of news appeared in the media a few days ago. A 65 year old woman was mauled by stray dogs in Thiruvananthapuram. Bitten all over, the old woman succumbed to her injuries on her way to the hospital. It emerges that locals who tried to help the woman were also viciously attacked by the dogs. Another woman was also bitten by rabid dogs but lived to tell the tale.
As per estimates over one lakh people have been bitten by stray dogs in Kerala itself between 2015-16. The city of Bengaluru reports over a 1000 cases of dog bite every month, while in the cosmopolitan and modern city of Mumbai, dog bites have killed more people in the last 20 years than the two deadly terror strikes in 1993 and 2008. Estimates by Municipal bodies in Mumbai state that as many as 1.3 million people have been bitten by stray dogs between 1994 and 2015 and more than 400 people have been killed by the rabies infection.
While the statistics are startling, the problem of stray dogs is not unknown to Indians. Most of us have had at least one experience of being chased by dogs while walking, cycling, driving a two-wheeler or even when driving a car. At the time when one is being chased wildly by a canine, baring its teeth and barking as though possessed by the devil, it is surely very difficult to conjure up an image of a cute, fluffy mongrel, cooing and drooling, that one frequently sees on the internet.
However, given the way national discourse is conducted in this country, it is very difficult to even suggest that stray dogs roaming the streets constitute a major problem that needs to be addressed urgently. Even the slightest mention of Dog and problem in the same sentence is enough to invite the wrath of dog lovers, animal rights activists, liberal media and the likes of Maneka Gandhi. Perhaps it is this fear of being shouted down and roundly condemned that has prevented India from addressing the menace of stray dogs.
A month or so ago, reports appeared that showed cases of cruelty to dogs. One incident took place in Chennai, where a group of boys threw a dog down from the terrace of their hostel. Another incident happened in Hyderabad, where boys where shown setting puppies on fire.
Needless to say, such shocking instances of cruelty to animals deserve loud condemnation. And there was loud condemnation indeed. News channels ran reports of how animal rights were being infringed upon. Civil society talked of the need to teach such monsters in human form a lesson that would never forget. In fact, the vilification was so swift and so severe that some of boys who had injured the dog had to go undercover for sometime for their own safety.
However, there has been nothing more than silence from Animal rights activists and other members of their ilk for the old woman in Kerala who was devoured by stray dogs, or for the lead Ethiopian marathon runner who was bitten by a stray in Bangalore’s TCS 10K run, or for countless children who are routinely attacked by ferocious canines.
WHO estimates the dog population of India to be around 25 million. It also estimates that 36% of world’s rabies deaths occur in India, most of them children who come in contact with infected dogs. Surely our animal lovers cannot ignore the magnitude of this problem. Given the seriousness of the issue, even the Supreme Court was constrained to state that compassion for animals should not come in the way of human lives to be saved. And yet, the voice of animal activists continues to dominate and castigate all opinions that attempt to solve the menace of stray dogs.
Unfortunately, the response of Animal rights activists to this menace has only engendered more problems. Firstly, By preventing the municipal authorities to sterilize, vaccinate or even cull dangerous strays, Animal rights activists are only encouraging people to exhibit cruelty against animals openly. After all, Humans, like dogs are animals. Just as a dog would attack when threatened, a human being also attacks when petrified. Innumerable cases of dogs being poisoned, stoned and killed have come forth in recent years. More than anything else, these should be seen as a reaction by people who have been threatened by dogs. Secondly, Animal rights activists would do well to educate animal owners and dog lovers on taking good care of their pets and not releasing them in the streets once their personal issues take priority over their love for Dogs. This can be a small step in countering the increase in population of strays. Thirdly, Dog lovers must understand that not every body loves dogs. It would be better if they were to keep their dogs leashed while going out for strolls. Also, if they could let their love for hygiene take precedence, they could clean up the mess excreted by their pets on their daily stroll. This is already the norm in Western countries. Dog lovers, Animal rights activists and other liberal, Dog loving dolts would do well to take a holistic view of things, rather than only harping about dog-rights, when the lives of humans are being trampled by the very creatures whose rights they claim to uphold.
Our administrative agencies also need to do more to rid the streets of the menace of stray dogs. For starters, they should initiate a dialogue with all stakeholders on revising Dog laws and making them more up to date. Attempts should be made to look for more humane solutions of dealing with stray dogs, but if necessary, violent strays must be culled for the greater good. For the sake of the children, the elderly and those who don’t exactly feel like cuddling a dog the moment one is seen, can we aim for streets free of stray dogs?
References:
http://www.newindianexpress.com/…/…/01/06/article3213083.ece
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/…/articlesh…/51336536.cms
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-36035456
http://www.firstpost.com/…/stray-dog-india-bengaluru-steri…
http://swarajyamag.com/…/dog-lovers-seem-to-have-missed-rea…