Dogs have a unique companionship relationship with humans throughout evolution. This poses a moral dilemma because humans are responsible for their welfare, but dogs’ evolution is linked to wolves and their instincts. This may be an unsolvable conundrum for India, but most of the world has not recognized the rights of stray animals.
If such animals are kept on a leash and registered, their keepers are bound to take care of them. If not, the state is bound to kill them as a last resort in the interest of public health. Stray dogs are protected under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 1960 and the regulations enacted under section 38 of the Act, particularly the Animal Birth Control (Dog) Rules of 2001. It is illegal for any person, RWA, or property management to remove or relocate dogs.
Only 15% of all stray dogs have been vaccinated. India’s stray population is huge, and adoption is slow and limited because many people only want foreign-breed dogs. The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules of 2001 (being updated) aim to limit the population of stray animals, but they do little to improve public safety.
The proposed draft rules, or the Animal Birth Control Rules of 2022, put forward only procedural changes in sterilization and vaccination, allow only “terminally ill and mortally injured” dogs to be killed, and require resident welfare associations to register their cases in their localities. K is considered responsible for feeding stray animals.
The PCA and ABC regulations acknowledge that uncontrolled stray dogs must be stopped, although this does not account for the magnitude of the problem, as there is approximately one stray animal for every 100 Indians. At about 21,000, more than a third of all rabies deaths occur in India. For the last five years, more than 300 people, mostly children from poor and rural families, have been killed by dogs.
A 2017 study showed that stray dogs in rural areas can also devastate wildlife. More than 80 species, of which more than 30 are on the endangered list, were targeted by dogs in wilderness areas. Dogs that are out alone can cause accidents when they run across the road, injuring themselves and other people.
Stray dogs enjoy opening garbage bags, and they can cause littering and spread litter around the environment and roads. Stray dogs will scavenge neighborhoods for food and may break open garbage cans and damage gardens. People who feed stray dogs can be made responsible for their vaccinations and bear the cost if someone is attacked by the animal.
Each Resident Welfare Association should form a “Guard and Dog Partnership” in consultation with the Police Dog Squad, so that the dogs can be trained and yet be friendly to the residents of the colony. Municipal corporations, residents’ welfare associations, and local dog groups should take care of the vaccination and sterilization of animals. Sick and aggressive animals have to be put to death.
The only long-term solution is to enforce stricter pet ownership laws, prohibit people everywhere from carelessly feeding dogs, and establish facilities for domestic dogs. More staff and funds are desperately needed. Apart from sterilization, attention should also be paid to adoption. And we must find some compassion in helping to resolve this crisis humanely. As long as dogs are homeless on the streets, the idea of a rabies-free India with harmonious coexistence between people and dogs will be a utopian dream. Leaving dogs homeless is bad for dogs, bad for people, and bad for wildlife.
India lacks infrastructure and mechanisms to ensure that the vulnerable (the poor and their children) have access to treatment. As such, it is a fantasy to expect the number of dogs to decrease with sterilization and vaccination. As long as dogs are homeless on the streets, the idea of a rabies- free India with harmonious coexistence between people and dogs would be a utopian dream. Leaving dogs homeless is bad for dogs, bad for people, and bad for wildlife. India lacks infrastructure and mechanisms to ensure that the vulnerable (the poor and their children) have access to treatment.
As such, it is a fantasy to expect the number of dogs to decrease with sterilization and vaccination. India has committed to eliminating rabies by 2030, but until the threat from stray dogs is first recognized as a public health menace, India’s poorest people will sacrifice their lives in safe public places at the sacrifice of dull sloganeering. They will continue to be deprived of rights. The issue of stray dogs in India is a complex problem that requires a multi-faceted solution. While laws and regulations are in place to protect the welfare of stray animals, they do not necessarily address the issue of public safety.
The proposed draft rules offer only procedural changes, and more needs to be done to improve infrastructure and access to treatment for those affected by dog attacks. Stricter pet ownership laws and facilities for domestic dogs, along with a focus on adoption, can provide a long-term solution. Ultimately, it is crucial to recognize the issue of stray dogs as a public health menace and work towards a harmonious coexistence between people and animals in India. (Writer is a Research Scholar in Political Science, Poetess, Independent journalist and columnist.
