A view from Gachibowli in Hyderabad. , Photo Credit: Nagra Gopal
FOr for about 25,000 years, we’ve co-existed with dogs. Dogs protect us, and give us emotional support and companionship. They are loyal, friendly and intelligent. Now we are seeing this beautiful bond breaking. Intolerance is on the rise not only towards dogs, but also towards cats, cows, birds and other creatures. We then extend a similar intolerance to friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, co-travellers, and strangers. It has been proven that when a person is mean to animals, he is also mean to his own species.
enemy identification
Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) are often the instigators of violence. The person who stands for election in these societies knows that he or she has no real power: no control over maintenance, electricity, buildings, sales, rent or water. What he can control is the choice of who guards the gate, and whether dogs should be allowed inside. Power demands that an enemy be identified, so the dogs living there peacefully become targets. And we annoy the dogs by constantly scolding them. The residents have told the police that Child hacked to death in Hyderabad Used to beat and tease three animals continuously. The residents repeatedly warned the child’s father. On top of that, the watchman’s father had refused to feed the dogs to anyone for three days. Then, the president/secretary of the society targeted the humans who fed the dogs and made the community safe. This was followed by a mob incited by statements of violence on the group chat. When RWAs go to the polls, the two groups compete with each other on the level of violence that they would inflict on animals – whether dogs, cats or pigeons.
Conflicts between humans and dogs are only symptoms of a real problem. Dogs become aggressive when they feel threatened. If they are unwell or hungry, have been forcibly relocated, or have witnessed abuse and neglect, they may want to defend themselves or their litter from attacks. This can be remedied if we are kind to them and follow the management rules that have been clearly laid down by the national and state governments and various courts.
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During the colonial period, dogs and Indians were not allowed to enter privileged areas. Both were subjected to violence and contempt. Stray dogs were regularly killed to reduce their numbers. It didn’t work then, and it won’t work now. Nature allows animals to produce offspring as often as there is space in the environment. If there is a vacuum, it will be occupied by more inconvenient species, such as rats, mice, weasels and cockroaches. The London Plague of 1665 resulted in the killing of 250,000 dogs and cats. The rat population increased, and 70% of the human population was wiped out by the Black Death epidemic. A similar incident took place in Surat some time ago and we feared plague as a result of the removal of the dogs.
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In fact the increasing number of dogs on the streets should be curbed. The 2001 Animal Birth Control (Canine) Rules (ABC Rules) have been recommended by the World Health Organization and the World Organization for Animal Health, as the only way to reduce the continued decline in the dog population, rabies incidence and aggression . in dogs. However, necessary measures have not been implemented by the local authorities to adequately and scientifically manage the stray dog population. Lack of budget and infrastructure, prevalence of corrupt and inefficient practices, and lack of transparency and monitoring were challenges for two decades. Recently, the Central Government has issued a new set of ABC rules which bridges these gaps. Instead of demanding removal of dogs, responsible and effective strategy would be for citizens to demand ABC program as per new ABC rules of 2023 from municipal bodies.
adopt native dogs
A proactive approach would be to encourage the adoption of Indian dogs. If one person out of every 100 people adopted a dog from the street, there would be no dogs on the streets. The fascination for exotic breeds keeps the brisk business of cruel puppy mills and dirty pet stores alive. Most exotic breed dogs in pet stores have parvo or distemper and die within a few weeks. In 2016, the central government banned the import of pedigree dogs into India. In 2017, it notified rules to strictly regulate dog breeders. In 2018, following a recommendation by the Law Commission, the Pet Shop Rules were notified to prevent trade in pedigree dogs. Why has Tamil Nadu allowed over 3,000 illegal pet shops and breeders to exist? No attempt has been made to follow the rules. If pet shops are closed, most of the problems related to dogs will go away.
Native dogs have better immune systems and make good pets. If a family adopts a native dog or if caretakers feed and socialize the community dogs and help neuter them, this will be of benefit to the community. The importance of people taking care of native dogs on the streets has been recognized by our courts, such as the Delhi High Court in Dr. Maya D. Chablani v. Radha Mittal. In addition, the new ABC Rules provide protection for community dog caregivers from harassment.
Reports of dog attacks must be tested against the benchmark of evidence. Recently, it was reported that two children were killed by dogs in Vasant Kunj, New Delhi. The mayor clarified that the autopsy report had not been received and that the children were less likely to have been killed by the dogs. But by then, the outrageous speculation had already been widely circulated as fact. If we claim to be the superior species, we must act responsibly, scientifically and humanely. Anything else would lead to chaos and misery for all species.
Maneka Gandhi is the BJP MP (Lok Sabha) from Sultanpur.