‘Cruelty against dogs created conflict zones’

Under the law, dogs may not be relocated. Instead , the government has a programme called ABC (Animal Birth Control) wherein they are sterilised and vaccinated. This stabilises numbers and eliminates biting.

Just a couple of days ago, the nation heard about a young army dog who took two bullets and carried on fighting. He died but not before bringing down two terrorists. That is how every dog is -- brave, loyal and true. Yet, the same animal who guides our blind, works in therapy centres, comforts the elderly, amuses our children, safeguards our homes, reduces our stress and eats our biscuits, is being accused of turning upon us. A false narrative has been built by stringing together incidents not from one place or time.

A Noida suthority van was sent to Lotus Boulevard Society in Sector 100 to catch stray dogs in the area. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

Why is this happening? India has always had dogs . They figure favourably in our history, religion and mythology. When we talk of the man-animal conflict , it has never previously referred to dogs. The epicentre of the current fear mongering can be traced to Noida and Ghaziabad where high rise buildings have taken the place of fields and villages. The new “urbanites” take great pride in their soaring skyscrapers. The bodies that run these societies wield enormous power over daily functions and funds but have little ability or to make meaningful improvements in terms of sewerage, facilities, registration and so on . Yet they are compelled to demonstrate their effectiveness and have picked the lowest-hanging fruit, dogs.

So, they whip up a frenzy against harmless, friendly community dogs who have lived in the area well before these dwellings. Security staff are (illegally) deployed to beat, chase , terrorise and drive away gentle animals. Those who feed these animals are abused , assaulted and evicted. This cruelty has, instead of buying peace, turned every society into a conflict zone.

Why not try another way — the right way? Under the law, dogs may not be relocated. Instead , the government has a programme called ABC (Animal Birth Control) wherein they are sterilised and vaccinated. This stabilises numbers and eliminates biting. Wherever it has been properly implemented , the results are amazing. No fights, no bites. Goa is a zero rabies state. So is Sikkim. Crucial to the success of the ABC programme is regular feeding that renders the dogs operation-worthy, easy to handle and identifiable for the purpose of regular re-vaccination . The answer to the current concern over dogs is not violence and removal but better implementation of the ABC programme and the understanding that feeding is part of the solution. Like they say, karma rewards kindness. Try it.

Ambika Shukla, director, Sanjay Gandhi Animal Care Center, is a noted animal welfare activist who has always gone above and beyond to care for the voiceless of this country. The iron shoulder of PFA, she has spent her life fighting for animal rights.