Dogcatchers visit again but find no strays in Sector 100

The authority acted after protests by residents and calls for civic authorities to do more to address the rise in the stray canine population, triggered by the death of a seven-month-old infant on Monday who was attacked by a community dog at a residential society in Noida’s Sector 100

The Noida authority sent dogcatchers to Sector 100 for the second say in a row after receiving complaints from residents about the presence of more “aggressive” community dogs in the area; however, officials said they could not find any. On Tuesday too, the authority had dispatched dogcatchers to relocate and rehabilitate the canines. Officials said they picked up 10 dogs from the area on the day.

Meanwhile, the residents of Lotus Boulevard have started an online campaign to remove all dogs from the area, which has received 4,348 signatures in the 24 hours since it began. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

The authority acted after protests by residents and calls for civic authorities to do more to address the rise in the stray canine population, triggered by the death of a seven-month-old infant on Monday who was attacked by a community dog at a residential society in Noida’s Sector 100.

The child’s parents were employed as daily-wage construction workers at the Lotus Boulevard apartment complex and were at work when the attack occurred around 4.30pm. The victim was taken to a private hospital and succumbed to the grievous injuries to his abdomen around 11pm.

“We sent dogcatchers again on Wednesday but could not find any more dogs. Some animal lover groups hsave asked us to hand over the dogs who were taken away on Tuesday to them. However, we are going to keep the dogs at the authority’s shelter for a few days and then take a call on what to do. According to residents, these are ferocious dogs and multiple aggressive incidents have been reported in the past,” said Indu Prakash, OSD, Noida Authority.

Meanwhile, the residents of Lotus Boulevard have started an online campaign to remove all dogs from the area, which has received 4,348 signatures in the 24 hours since it began. The petition demands better legal provisions and policies for dogs so that they can be treated well at shelters while being kept from harming humans.

“The problem isn’t community dogs, but that there are no clear policies for their care. The civic authorities alone can resolve this conflict without harming the dogs. There is a need to create safe and clean shelters where aggressive community dogs can be relocated and neutered. Authorities as well as dog feeders can use this safe space to feed dogs. Several residents will also fund these shelters if they are assured that they are safe in their societies,” said Anshu Tyagi, the resident who started the petition.

According to animal rights activists, these conflicts are a recurring problem. They say the law provides for the conflict to be resolved by emphasising on a scientific and humane Animal Birth Control (ABC) program via The Animal Birth Control Rules, 2001, which is yet to be fully implemented by civic authorities.

According to Gauri Maulekhi, trustee, People For Animals (PFA), the Animal Birth Control programme is premised on the principles of Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Release (TNVR). It also emphasises that sterilised community dogs must be released in the same location where they were found. In this manner, the issue of rabies eradication is effectively addressed within the parameters of the programme.

“A streamlined and scaled up implementation of the programme offers a sustainable way forward. However, the Central and state Ggvernments need to allocate resources to make the programme effective on the ground. It is easy to stigmatise an entire species of animals. They do not constitute a vote bank nor can they defend themselves in a court of law. The underlying causes of conflict are glaring at us in the face. The key to resolving them lie in political will, systemic redressal of responsible dog population management and community-based goodwill as compassionate citizens,” said Maulekhi.