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| Cannie Hazard on the streets! | | Tackling the Problem of Indian Stray Dogs | | Dr. Pragya Khanna
A common saying goes, "A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself." However, this does not apply to the dogs we see every day and everywhere in the streets. Globally there are an estimated 500 million dogs, of which approximately 80% are stray or unwanted. So much so that the condition has become notoriously problematic.
Imagine a child is playing in front of a house and here comes a stray dog and the dog bites the child. It could happen. Ok may be the child does not get bitten but gets ticks or fleas from being near the dog. The situation would still be challenging. You could even imagine your neighbour's family dog getting in a fight or in contact with a stray dog and getting ticks or fleas or rabies and passing that onto anybody in the area.
My uncle, a regular morning walker always has a fear that a stray dog would attack him in the early wee hours. He always walks with a stick in his hand. All these situations and more are very common with every second person in almost every locality.
Picture seeing a group of them walk your way? These appear not at all as beautiful specimens of dogs, but as monstrous and scary beasts. However, they step aside politely for human pedestrians before continuing on their way, stop patiently to look both ways before moving across frantic traffic on roads, lie lazily in crowded markets, mingled with one another at storefronts and have their shabby coats tousled by the whooshing tyres of passing commercial trucks. In the midday heat they sleep quietly in tree-shaded gutters mere inches from the road. Most of these animals are multi-generational strays, which means that they are the offspring of strays who were the offspring of strays and so on, and on, for many breeding generations.
Most free-roaming dogs in India belong to an ancient canine race known as the Pariah Dog, which has existed all over Asia and Africa ever since human beings started living in settlements. Its origin dates back 12,000 to 15,000 years that is it is older than any other breed. They are, and have always been, scavengers and they live on garbage created by humans. In India the breed has existed for perhaps 14,000 years or more. In addition to scavenging, they are widely kept as pets by rural and urban slum households.
Pariahs are friendly, highly intelligent and adjustable, not to mention attractive and well-proportioned. They are very attentive, alert and vigilant, thus form naturally good watchdogs. They are usually vigorous and sturdy, and particularly hardy in our scorching tropical climate.
Much of the urban stray population consists of mongrels or mix-breeds descended from pure-breed dogs who have been allowed by their owners to interbreed with pariahs.
The size of stray dog populations always corresponds to the size and character of the human population of the area. Urban India has two features which generate and maintain stray dog populations, viz., 1) Large amounts of exposed garbage, which provide an abundant source of food, 2) A huge population of slum and street-dwellers, who often keep the dogs as free-roaming pets.
There is another group of people whose condition is generally ignored, that is, the beggars and construction workers who spend their nights on the streets. They often have little children of their own who sleep on the street side where the stray dogs prowl during the nights. This in itself is a deadly mishmash and a formula for disaster. Again, the poor people are left to their own devices. The point to wonder here is why the voluntary agencies that are so concerned about the dogs' welfare are ignoring this issue?
Haphazard urban planning and human overpopulation have led to a correspondingly huge population of stray dogs in almost all Indian cities causing a number of problems like Rabies, a fatal disease which can be transmitted to humans. Although all warm-blooded animals can get and transmit rabies, dogs are the most common carrier. India has the highest number of human rabies deaths in the world (estimated at 35,000 per annum) and dog bites mostly occur when dogs are trying to mate and fighting among themselves. The pedestrians and other humans in the vicinity often get bitten accidentally. Females with pups to protect may also be aggressive and bite people who approach their litter.
For all the above mentioned reasons most Indian civic bodies have been killing stray dogs for decades, some since the last century. The thought was directly introduced from the developed countries without any understanding of the very different urban conditions in the third world. In developing countries such as India, where exposed garbage and slums promote the survival of strays, killing or removing stray dogs has proved completely ineffective in controlling rabies or the dog population. This is because dogs removed are easily replaced. Dogs have tremendously high breeding rates. According to one estimate, two dogs can multiply to over 300 (over a few generations) in three years. They are also highly territorial; with each dog having its fixed niche. When dogs are taken away their territories become vacant and dogs from neighbouring areas move in to occupy them. The dogs who escape the catching squads also continue to reproduce, so the territorial vacuums are soon filled again. Dog fights increase, since every time a new dog enters a territory he is attacked by the dogs already in the neighbourhood. Dog bites also increase, as during dog fights many humans get accidentally bitten. Rabies continues to spread to humans, since none of the dogs is vaccinated, also the dog-catchers are hesitant to pick up a rabid dog so only healthy dogs get killed. As long as exposed garbage and slums continue to exist, dog-killing programmes cannot work. They only create an unsteady, constantly changing, rapidly multiplying and rabies-carrying dog population.
Mass killing of dogs as a population control measure was started by the British in the 19th Century. It was continued on a large scale (up to 50,000 dogs killed every year) after Independence by the municipal authorities all over India, with the aims of eradicating human rabies deaths and the stray dog population. By 1993, it was admitted to be a complete failure, since human rabies deaths had actually increased, and the dog population was also perceptibly growing.
Studies by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Animal Welfare Board of India (Ministry of Environment & Forests) show that dog population control measures which work in developed countries are unsuccessful in third world developing countries, since urban conditions are very different. The urban environment here encourages breeding of stray dogs, so no matter how many dogs were killed, they were quickly replaced by more. That is why in January 1994, the killing programme was replaced by mass sterilisation of stray dogs. The sterilisation programme is carried out by non-government organisations in collaboration with the municipal corporation. Moreover, that as per Indian law, street dogs cannot be beaten or driven away. They can merely be sterilized in the manner envisaged in the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules, 2001 (Rules under Indian Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960), vaccinated, and then returned back to their original locations. Additionally, Section 428 of the Indian Penal Code also provides for imprisonment and fine in cases involving animal cruelty.
The killing method has failed to control rabies in developing countries worldwide including Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Cambodia, North Korea, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Jordan, Syria, Yemen, Bangladesh, Nepal, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.
When dogs are sterilised and put back in their own area, the population and the problems caused by dogs both reduce. Each dog guards its own territory and does not allow new dogs to enter. Since they are all neutered (sterilized), they no longer mate or multiply. The main factors leading to dog aggression, migration and mating are eliminated. So dog-fights reduce dramatically. With the decrease in fighting, bites to humans also decrease. Since females no longer have pups to protect, this source of dog aggression is also eliminated. Over a period of time, as the sterilised dogs die natural deaths, the population is greatly reduced.
Though there is no simple answer, nor set formula to solve the problem of unfriendly stray dogs. However, most dogs tend to conform to predictable rules of behaviour. Here are some simple ways to avoid trouble if one has to face difficult situations. Remember even friendly dogs will bark at you, as it is their job to defend their territory. Others will see you as a threat to themselves or their handler when out walking.
" Never run past a strange dog, or walk quickly away from it. This may make it chase you and you could get bitten as a result.
" Always walk or back away slowly, facing the dog until you are sure you are safe.
" Do not show fear. A dog can detect fear. Keep calm walk away slowly and speak firmly to the dog.
" Do not stare at the dog. Staring is a threat, a dog may read it as a challenge and attack.
" Do not allow children to approach dogs they do not know, even if the owner says it's safe. You can never be sure.
" Even with your own pet, ensure that children do not poke the dog's eyes or pull its hair etc. A dog only has one way to say "I've had enough", and that is to snarl or bite.
" A growl is as good as "Leave me alone".
" Hot weather is a bad time for dogs. We all tend to get a bit testy when it is hot. A dog cannot take its coat off!
Finally do not feel bad if you like dogs but they respond to you by barking. They are only doing their job. Please remember that dogs rarely attack, so don't be over anxious of every dog that you meet. Most are scared about getting into a fight but like to act tough on their own territory. Behave in a friendly and confident manner and you will help lessen their fear.
Like humans, animals also have a right to live. Since, they are the same as us, just with a lower brain capability than humans; preventing them from logical assessment and ruling this earth!!! But they have a complete sensory nervous system allowing them to be conscious, responsive and communicative. They feel pain, pleasure, terror, irritation, loneliness and motherly love. Every citizen of India is thus hereby advised to abide by the law, and refrain from uncivilized, criminal actions such as seeking to threaten those who choose to deal with street animals compassionately.
Treat me kindly, O' beloved human, for no heart in all the world is more grateful for kindness than the loving heart of me.
Do not break my spirit with a stick, for although I should lick your hand between blows, your patience and understanding will more quickly teach me the things you would have me do. |
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