Yourspace: Authorities should show more teeth to address stray dog issue

What is the solution to galloping stray dogs population?

First of all, we must remember that the city has evolved over time and I dispute this figure - 40,000 to 3 lakh. Back when we started the animal birth control (ABC) programme in 1998 in Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), the city area covered was small. The initiative in Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) started in 2004-2005. Eventually the city and PCMC merged into a megacity. Lots of figures keep floating without any basis. What had happened in the past few years was that sterilisation programme was only running on paper. The work was shabby and it ran into a heap of management issues. Both the municipal corporations are now trying to address the stray dog issue. PMC is reconstructing a new dog centre. In the meantime they have floated tenders and asked NGOs to sterilise dogs at their own premises. So, one, these figures seem imaginary. And, two, there is a desperate need to improve the programme. PMC and PCMC are working in the right direction. But this should have happened much earlier. Earlier, barely Rs 50-60 lakh was allotted for this work. PCMC did a good job for around seven years between 2012 and 2018. Later, loads of problems occurred. Surgeries were not being conducted properly, but now they are slowly getting back on track. Other than sterilisation, nowhere in the world has anything else worked. If someone thinks that killing is an option, they are mistaken.

The alarming rise of the city’s stray dog population - from 40,000 to 3 lakh in 10 years - should be a cause of concern, not only for the civic administration, but also for animal activists and fauna lovers. A government survey has exposed a gap between steps taken by the PMC to control the stray dog issue and the alarming rise in numbers. Is the area you live in over-run by strays? How are residents coping with the issue? Is sterilisation of strays the best way forward, if not the only way to deal with the issue? (PICTURE FOR REPRESENTATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY)

Manoj Oswal

Considering the fact that the city lacks good kennels to house stray dogs, I assume canine catchers pick up dogs from area A and release them in area B. This in turn leads to territorial fights. Sterilisation looks like a plausible answer. There is no way of knowing what they do with strays that are picked and not let loose in the neighbourhood, on the outskirts or in the forest. There was a stray we looked after in our society which was picked up by one of these vans. We visited various kennels, but could not find him. Therefore, I do not think the authorities can be trusted with the safety of dogs. There are some organisations like the one in Bhugaon which charges Rs 400 or so for the sterilisation operation and looks after the dogs while they recover, before releasing them.

Raksha Kulkarni

Awarding sterilisation contracts should be transparent

There is nothing wrong with sterilisation. However, there is a lot of corruption in the process of awarding contracts of sterilisation. Plus, the census is not accurate. I do not know where the number is coming from. How did they even count the dogs? If you count in one lane and visit the next lane, how did they ensure the same dog isn’t being counted twice? I’m on the committee of Maharashtra State Animal Welfare Board for zilla parishad and rural area. Regardless of it being from the city or rural areas, the problem is the process of sterilisation. There is no monitoring system of contractors. Things like false bills, false procedures are rampant. Once the dogs are put in the van, who knows whether they were neutered and anti-rabies shots were really administered or not? Some other agency has to be put in charge of keeping a check. Unless we stop giving a free hand to these contractors, it will be very difficult to curb the stray dog situation. Cross checking should be done and the administration must appoint NGOs to keep a track of the work of these contractors. There is no problem with sterilisation in itself. It is these contractors that need to be dealt with. There is a systematic way of census of stray dogs, but the administration has to be effective enough to appoint skilled professionals for the job.

Amit Shah

Feed strays whenever possible

There are accounts of people from Delhi, Mumbai and Pune on a social networking platform where people feeding stray dogs have been assaulted. I am sure this takes places in areas where stray dog population is high. Those poor beings can often be spotted around stores that sell meat. They scavenge for food in order to survive. As long as you do not hurt them, they do not hurt you. The only possible problem is that these dogs tend to chase vehicles that intensifies the chances of them being run over. Nobody takes the effort to dispose their bodies. Whenever I can, I take walks at night to feed them.

Sayali Shinde

Authorities should sterilise dogs

I do not see stray dogs as a problem. Where I live, there are not many dogs. On my way to college, especially early morning, I do see dogs near the railway station. I think the problem is not their population, but the lack of food and water. I do not really know what happens to the dogs because you don’t see the same canine regularly or for long periods of time. The dogs make for good company during my walk from railway station to college and back. If the report is right and the population has really gone up that much, then maybe it is time for the authorities to pull up their socks and sterilise them. It is a fact that the litter consists of around seven to eight puppies. So, if a stray gets pregnant, that adds three-four dogs in the vicinity. It breaks my heart to see small puppies getting injured or dying on roads.

Sarika Nande

They have become a public nuisance

All the stray dogs should be caught and let loose at nearby jungles as sterilisation is not showing positive results. If animal lovers want to help the strays they should adopt them and keep them safely somewhere where they can be taken care of, without causing a nuisance to neighbours. People should stop feeding stray dogs and inform authorities so that all dogs are sterilised. Stray dogs have become a great nuisance for common man and need to tackle the problem amicably.

Maya Hemant Bhatkar

PMC must take responsibility

The population of stray dogs have gone up from 40,000 to 2,50,000 to 3,00,000 in last 10 years. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is taking necessary steps to control stray dog menace. Stray dogs are dangerous as they attack residents and children. PMC is not serious about the same. This shows lack of responsibility. There should be zero tolerance. PMC should appoint a private agency to resolve the problem. Awareness is a must. PMC takes action after it is pointed out by social media.

Anoop Panjwani