Stray dog menace back in spotlight after Wagh Bakri scion Parag Desai's death
Calls for pro-active policy to handle stray dog menace after tea tycoon Parag Desai succumbs to injuries.
The death of prominent businessman and Wagh Bakri Tea Group scion Parag Desai has brought the spotlight back on the menace of stray dogs. Desai reportedly suffered grievous injuries trying to ward off stray dogs that attacked him on October 15 and succumbed to a brain haemorrhage on Sunday during the course of treatment. He was 49.
As soon as the cause of Desai's death hit the headlines, social media platforms were flooded with posts highlighting the growing menace of stray dogs across the country.
Condoling the demise of 49-year-old businessman, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi said that Desai's death was avoidable. She called for a “pro-active policy” to handle the menace by establishing active shelters for stray animals and vaccinating them.
“We really need to have a pro active policy in place to handle the stray dog menace- active stray animal shelters especially dogs, neutering them, their vaccinations etc,” she said in a post on X.
“I have seen many NGOs who selflessly serve the cause but struggle due to lack of funds and local governments that have funds but not prioritising it,” the Rajya Sabha member lamented.
Deepak Shenoy, CEO and founder of Capitalmid, stressed the need to address the menace and take the stray dogs “off the streets”.
“We do need to address the stray dog menace in India. The fear is enough reason, even if it causes people to fall and hurt their head because they're getting attacked - the problem is pack dog behaviour. Need to take them off the streets - too many such incidents,” he posted on X (formerly Twitter).
An X user named Sandeep Mall wrote, “The stray dog menace is serious issue. Everyday threat. No municipality does anything. This is nothing less than murder. Sterilisation and vaccination of stray animals is must. Stray cows are also such a huge problem.”
Sudhir Mehta, Chairman and Managing Director at Pinnacle Industries Limited, made a heartfelt statement regarding the incident, shedding light on the ever-increasing threat posed by stray dogs. He noted that the issue has become increasingly polarizing, critical, and contentious in recent times. Mehta said that the administration's hands are consistently tied due to opposition from animal welfare groups, making it difficult to implement any action, including relocating, capturing, or neutering these stray dogs.
“The distressing reality is that politicians who dare to address this problem face fierce backlash,” Mehta wrote.
“This menace has spiraled out of control and is now a life-threatening crisis. It's no longer about physical harm and the grave injuries inflicted on kids, senior citizens, and adults. What's even more distressing is the psychological terror that citizens endure, especially during the nights,” he added.
“What makes this situation even more worrisome is that most stray dogs in and around #Pune are actively fed by volunteers, many of whom don't even reside in these affected areas. The havoc these dog packs wreak and the terror they impose are nothing short of a nightmarish ordeal,” Mehta further stated.
Calling for a resolution action, Mehta said that nothing justifies citizens, particularly innocent children, losing their lives or living in perpetual fear.
Dr Tanmay Motiwala, who works at the Department of pediatric surgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences Jodhpur, highlighted the increased frequency of such attacks saying “issue of stray dogs should be addressed.”
“Pet love is a different thing. Even I love them but this is so terrible. Imagine being chased by stray dogs. Faced that quite a lot of times while returning in bike after late night OTs.”
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