Rabies, Sterilisation, shelters and dogs are more than a topic of discussion
they are a reality which involve the welfare of dogs and the communities they in. The past two weeks have divided the courts, citizens and arm chair critics across India, on the "how to" manage dog welfare and human safety.
What precipitated this action against dogs?
An alleged increase in the numbers of dog human conflict. The press and media flooded with reports of horrific attacks and paucity of vaccines. If all reports are taken at face value there should be apocalyptic scenes of the streets of Delhi. The capital of India has not been taken over by packs of feral, rabies infected, savage dogs.
There is little information on how the person or child found themselves at the receiving end of the canines bite. A majority of street dogs- animals shy away from human beings. They know instinctively and from unpleasant past experiences to approach humans selectively and cautiously.
What is the court's stance on shelters?
The courts stance which is decidedly antithetical to all the values we claim to instil in the next generation. The decision was shocking for a country which prides itself on a history of non violence and ahimsa. It was not only callous, but flew in the face of established laws and decades of proof that an eyewash is never a solution to a deep rooted societal failure.
Decades of stray dog management across the world has proven that sterilisation of dogs has successfully reduced stray dog populations. Shelters, the type proposed by the court are essentially incarceration centers.
Why are we abandoning a vital part of our eco system?
"Policymakers should treat this conflict as an opportunity to confront an outdated legal setup. The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960 was enacted when India’s urban footprint was modest. Today’s conurbations with dense informal settlements cannot afford such dog populations. Entrenched ideological positions that romanticise “community dogs” and regard confinement as oppression take insufficient account of the dense human ecology. A modern statute should clearly distinguish between sociable dogs that can find homes; aggressive or chronically ill dogs that require euthanasia; and the large residual category that can live in proper shelters — but none on public roads. "
The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960, and the societal responsibility to protect fellow creatures is not time bound. It cannot be amended at our convenience. This editorial suggests that once environmental or societal factors are identified as inconvenient - they must be removed.
This suggests avoidance trumps responsibility. Bullying trumps kindness. And application of mind is only for situations in which it is selfishly convenient
What is Rabies?
Rabies is an ancient virus, which is transmitted through the saliva or bite of any infected warm blooded animal.
Human animal conflicts are detrimental to both species. Reasonable rational people on both sides of the "divide" know that co existence is key. It is neither realistic nor possible to wish away or lock away a problem and pretend it is a solution. Press releases titled "Menace of Stray Dogs" is significant for more than just the use of words. It unwittingly aligns itself with one side of a debate. Unbiased reporting helps bring balance to debates, instead of greater enmity.
If human beings pride themselves on being the most "intelligent species" on the planet, we must prove it by our actions- not words.
