Stray dogs are a problem as they are becoming increasingly feral. A humane solution is needed
Across India, from Kerala in the south to western Uttar Pradesh, stories of stray dogs attacking vulnerable people are making the headlines and this has led to a ferocious backlash among the public at large — violence that is not solely directed at canines but also incredible violence directed at those who feed and care for strays. A reasonable solution has to be found to the problem. There is no doubt that stray dogs are becoming a menace in many parts of the country as there is uncontrolled and rampant population growth of strays. Besides, a finite amount of resources has meant that stray dogs are not man’s best friend anymore and these dogs constantly attack humans.
This newspaper and for that matter many of its staff and readers are for the large part dog-lovers, and one cannot imagine humankind without dogs around. That said, there is undoubtedly a problem of strays. You cannot dig your head in the sand and pretend that stray dogs did not kill children in Sitapur and have not attacked people across the country. We have a problem of killer dogs and that needs to be addressed. Few municipalities have the money or the resources of large Indian cities that have tried to deal with the stray dog menace through population control. But it appears that now there needs to be a more planned solution which will unfortunately mean that many dogs will have to be put down. However, this is a standard practice in most developed nations, where most pet dogs have licenses and there is no stray problem.
You might care for a dog, but in that case, it is contingent that you give a dog a home. licenses for dogs with a tag are a standard practice across the world and should be followed in India as well. At the same time, promotion of Indian breeds should be done and people should be encouraged to adopt desi dogs. If the situation is not addressed what will inevitably happen is that a large proportion of the public who do not own or like dogs will start taking matters into their own hands as some citizens in Sitapur and in Aleppy have done. There will be uncontrolled slaughter of dogs, strays and pets and it will not be surprising if a few human lives are lost as well. In the name of animal rights we cannot ignore the problem.