Considering Delhi’s policies regarding stray dogs, policies are being mended and drafted to ensure the safeguarding of the public. Stray dogs are found across the globe in many countries. Unsanitary conditions and the lack of basic living conditions have affected stray dogs significantly.
As a result, stray dogs have been becoming increasingly aggressive towards mankind. Aggressiveness not only results in bites, but these very bites can cause diseases for victims too. So, does that mean we must boot these dogs of the very little they have- their very own life??
While killing these creatures is surely not humane, sterilizing these dogs or even ensuring they are not a menace to society is more than a piece of cake. Stray dogs as mentioned can cause rabies, harm children and the elderly and even cause accidents. Dogs can cause psychological trauma to victims too.
To put this into concrete facts, in India alone over 3.7 million dog bite cases were reported in India, with 54 confirmed human rabies deaths, though actual rabies deaths may be higher due to underreporting. Some estimates even suggest a dog bite occurs every 10 seconds in India, totalling around 3 million bites per year.
So with stray dogs causing serious trouble for societies, we arrive at the real question- What do we really do to deal with them? Well, in my opinion, killing them is surely off the cards because after all, it is not only unethical and inhumane but further illegal too.
We humans may rule the face of the Earth but to decide who lives, that’s not within our moral power. Moreover, we might see stray dogs as intruders to our communities but in many scenarios, it is us humans who are the real intruders. While stray dogs have posed a threat to us, humans have severely affected their livelihood by poisoning their population and even abuse.
Thats is why certain organizations and entities have stepped up. Their programmes not only aim to protect the human race but rather also foster a sanitary environment for stray dogs to live in. Initiatives undertaken include the ABC program which stands for Animal Birth Control. It aims to capture, sterilize and reintegrate non-aggressive stray dogs safely into communities with the help of community support mechanisms. Further, these programs must commit to national laws regarding Animal Cruelty.
Overall, such an initiative, provides an opportunity to healthy, stray dogs to thrive and live while aggressive ones are sent to shelter to protect both the human and animal communities. Such policies are being adopted by national governments too such as India’s recent policies that protect communities. India has chosen to embrace the ABC program while designating certain areas to feed stray dogs.
While such strides are fostering a safer future, implementation gaps among huge populations and the lack of support severely hinder steps to turn dog menace to dog coexistence. So, as fellow inhabitants of the Earth, we must play our part and ensure it is not only governments but rather communities that are taking the step.
Credits for “The Stray Dog Jeopardy”
Cover Image Credits: https://www.frontiersin.org/news/2020/01/17/new-dog-old-tricks-untrained-stray-dogs-can-understand-human-cues
Inside Image Credits:
- https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0kzkzvx848o
- https://theprint.in/india/delhi-stray-dogs-abc-rules-centres-sterilisation-rabies-control/2722702/
Do follow https://ethansliteraryhaven.com/ for more such writings.
