Bangalore Stray Dogs - Do they deserve it?
There is a huge debate raging amongst the citizens of Bangalore – between the animal lovers and the others who feel that stray dogs are a menace to the city.
The issue started with a 7 years old girl being mauled to death by a pack of street dogs near her house. A hue and cry was raised by many citizens who felt or have experienced the menace created by street dogs in Bangalore. The situation turned to worse when another 4 year old boy was mauled to death. The city corporation swung into action and ordered that stray dogs should be captured and culled.
Special dog catching squads were brought in from Kerala and new dog vans were purchased and the dog culling process was started early this week. A few section of the citizen, especially those who have been terrorized by the stray dogs before felt that this was the only way in which Bangalore could be freed from stray dogs. Another section felt that the culling of dogs was inhuman, since they also have the right to share the planet along with us.
My personal experience with stray dogs in Bangalore has not been dangerous. Once when I was returning home from Bangalore Central to my home near the airport by bus, I had to walk around a kilometer at 11pm. The streets were deserted and there were a number of stray dogs; a couple of them started growling at me, but I never looked in their direction and just kept walking as if I had not felt their presence. This seemed to have worked, and I was able to reach home safely. In another occasion, another dog started chasing my bike, but I shouted at him on top of my voice, and he seemed to be discouraged with that.
I love pets, especially cats and dogs and I am against all sorts of cruelty to animals, except towards the ones which I eat (chicken, mutton and fishes). That’s when I saw the way the dogs were being culled on news channels. In one case, the catcher wedged the dogs heads between two branches of a near by tree and injected it with the poison to kill it. These scenes really pained me since dogs, unlike mosquitoes or flies do not deserve to be treated like this.
NGO’s like CUPA, who have been taking up activities like sterilization of dogs in the past have washed their hands out of the second incident of mauling by saying that the area where the incident happened does not fall under their jurisdiction. Couldn’t the NGOs have performed a better role in preventing the number of stray dogs from going out of hand? The NGOs would always complain that they were short of funds, like all NGOs, but isn’t it the government’s duty to have taken steps to prevent such incidents?
I guess that the NGOs need to come forward to prevent this indiscriminate killing of dogs. I agree that there are a number of ferocious dogs which might have to be killed, but then there could be dogs which do not pose a threat to anyone at all.
I guess that the dog catchers should deposit the dogs with any of the NGOs after capture and the NGOs should decide if the animal should be killed or not. The NGOs also need to relook into their sterilization drive, since it has had no effect till now.
What can citizens like you and me do? They can either donate to the NGOs to take up such a drive or they can always pay Rs.25 to the corporation and adopt a dog.
posted by Arun R @ 3:09 PM
7 comments
7 Comments:
I don't think the fight is between animal lovers and those who want dogs to be killed. The issue is whether streets of Bangalore can have stray dogs or not.
It's very much like whether Bangalore can have a number of criminals who mug people at night. Or, whether Bangalore's streets can have garbage all around or not.
Because of our poor way of handling an issue -- mostly in an emotional rather than rational manner -- the main issue here has been sidelined.
We all love dogs; but for a small number of criminals, I don't think anyone wants animals, dogs in particular, killed.
It's sad that BBMP and NGOs haven't been able to join hands and rescue the dogs from the streets and provide them decent livelihood.
Can't we have a humane way to rid this global city of fame and fortune of stray dogs.
During the last 15 years, I have had to go back home from work at night (I am a journalist). And Bangalore is my sixth city. I have always been confident that I could escape stray dogs -- I had devised my tricks; and almost had become arrogant that stray dogs can't do anything to me.
Until one night on CMH Road of Bangalore, I was surrounded by some 5 dogs and one bit me... More than the bite, and money for injections; it's the scare that left me paralysed for a few days.
At the end of it all, I can only get philosophical: we live with so many undesirable things in life. We learn to adjust and survive. Stray dogs are just one of them.
Meanwhile, civic body and NGOs keep fighting.
Only hope is that a lot animal rights activists get bitten by these dogs...
Whatever be the case: stray dogs are a menace and should be cast away from the city, in a zoo or some secluded place. Yes, if people want to adopt and pet them that's of course fine.
I think that people very easily get swayed by hysteria fueled by the media's misinformation. and i am very firm on that. we have extensively investigated the two deaths as well as other incidents involving stray dogs and i can tell you that 90% of it is media agenda,whatever that may be.
the solution is not killing them, and definitely not in the manner in which they are being killed in Bangalore.
anyone (i hope) will not condone a dog being battered to death, no matter how bloodthirsty the emotion against them may be. The people who are doing this are psychopaths.i say this as a person who is qualified professionally to say that the manner adopted by the dog catchers is psychopathic.
No one wants a rational long term beneficial to all result. Besides, if those who do not want dogs on the road want their voice heard, and heard it is, do those who want that they are not cruelly treated and their population humanely managed also have an equal right to be heard.
It is utter crap to say that India is shining and Bangalore should be like Singapore. Singapore has no garbage and slums. As long as barbaric acts like those that are being done on Bangalore strays is condoned, no one should dare call themselves civilized. Unless their definition of civilization is throwing acid on them, burning them alive, injecting them with cyanide, mass burying them alive in landfills…but….wait..dont we do the same to women?! ….i think we should hang our heads in shame and do a soul search about our own personality traits and tendencies.
Please visit http://catsofbangalore.blogspot.com if you care for humane treatment of animals. Also please do not use another persons blog to carry out a debate with me. Please say what you have to on my blog.
ABC is the best and lasting solutions to this problem. I would not say problem. Do we kill human beings when they show aggressiveness in the society? Animals are also part of this world. We can't deny their rights to live in this earth. Garbage in the city is not the primary reason of the stray's aggressiveness. People have wrong notion. Just dogs eating them doesn't mean this is the reason of the growth of Strays. Dogs become aggressive (esp' female dogs)to protect their puppies as natural instinct mother gives love, care & security to their children. Same dogs does. Another reason is when the stress and discomfort that females endure during heat periods.
Well, Dogs are meant to be strays. Do they have ability to work & earn? Millions of people are unemployed or not earning though have ability to work & earn.
On conclusion, ABC ( Animal Birth Control) is the right solution to control the population of dogs & also to keep their aggressiveness in controlled or to keep them calm psychologically.
Please suggest ABC to your nearest NGO, Corporation offices, media and every individuals.
Love animals. Live & Let live.
By Yangchen.
Well, I Really Dont Know about Dogs Hurting Anyone, But May Peace Be With the One's Who Had to Part Ways With there Loved One's ( Children ), Dont know if the incident had to do with dogs or not,but my suggestion to bangalore would be, they being a such a big city with such good people, can certainly make things better, by bringing in dog trainers instead of doing watever with them, dog trainers can make things better, for sure, i am sure that looking at what i say might sound a distant thing, sure you can start of with something, which is good for all, imagine dog's trained, while they greet you well and then you got nothing to be worried off, off course the dog trainers are witty and intelligent, i think they should do so, about the incident happened, Not sure what has caused it, wouldnt know much, but We can wish Them With all the Peace and Love to all!!...Also i feel,Love should be The Way while taking decisions!! :D
Anything threat to human needs to be killed... but in proper way.... if people are objecting towards killing of dogs and say they have right to live.. then goat,,, sheep... hen... chicken .. plants do have right to live... they do not have objection having nonveg while eating.../
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