STRAY DOGS
Many people in our society consider stray dogs as a nuisance. They say things like: “Why do these stray dogs exist?”; “They are dirtying our streets”; “They scare off our children”; “They bite people and spread rabies”; “Why aren’t they removed from here?”

The animal lovers say: “Dogs have a right to live too”; “We don’t own this earth, dogs have equal rights to live on this land”; “How can you throw out a mother and her small furry pups? Don't you have a heart?”

Both parties are right in a way. We cannot kill/remove stray dogs from a place because they are living beings like us capable of all emotions and suffering and hence have a right too like us to live in that space. So, to solve the problem of rabies and over-population of street dogs, we need to find solutions that are ETHICAL and LAWFUL.

The solution is sterilization and vaccination of street dogs of our colony. Sterilization basically involves spaying of females and castration of male dogs so that they do not reproduce. Vaccination involves giving the dogs an anti-rabies shot. After sterilization the dogs do not reproduce and hence their population becomes stable. As they are vaccinated against Rabies and other diseases they do not pose any health hazard.

Killing or removal of dogs from an area is not a solution as is normally thought. Since dogs are territorial animals they will not allow any other dog to enter the colony. If the dogs are removed from an area other dogs from surrounding colonies will take their place. Thus we will be back to initial situation after say few months. Further these new dogs may be unsterilized and unvaccinated which will only worsen the situation.

The sterilization and vaccination program will satisfy both the dog ‘haters’ and ‘lovers’.

The ‘Dog Haters' will be happy since:

v No new pups will be born which will now allow the population to stabilize
v Vaccination against rabies makes the danger from the disease negligible
v Sterilized male dogs will not fight over females and create a 'nuisance'
v Bitches are more prone to biting people when they give birth. This threat will also be eliminated.
v Dogs are territorial animals. Sterilized dogs will not allow other 'alien' animals to come into the colony.

Thus the population of dogs will be stabilized, leaving only healthy, sterilized and vaccinated dogs in the colony.


The 'Dog Lovers', they are satisfied since:

v There is no cruelty as the dogs are not removed or killed and are allowed to be there.
v Pups are not born every year only to die from hunger, disease or be run over by motorists.
v People won’t have fear of rabies because dogs will be vaccinated so they won’t demand their removal.
v As the residents do not hate and ill treat dogs, the animals do not feel threatened and are less aggressive and hostile.

Thus sterilization and vaccination can solve problems and keep all resident groups happy.

FEW BENEFITS OF STRAY DOGS

Though it may seem paradoxical, but having dogs in a society makes it safer! Even when guards are employed, they normally sit together at the gate and pass the night especially during the winters. Also when they patrol the colony at night they cannot detect unscrupulous persons hiding behind, say trees or under cars or see them in unilluminated and dark areas. But such persons are easily detected by the street dogs.

There have been so many cases where many a thief has been detected by the dogs who have alerted the guards and others by their barking. During the days of Punjab terrorism, whenever the terrorists wanted to strike in a particular village, the first activity they carried out was to drive away or kill the dogs as otherwise it was not possible for them to even enter the village.

STERILIZATION PROCESS

A Society for Stray Canine Welfare formed in December 2002, has 5 Animal NGOs running dog sterilization centers. Since March 2003 where over 15,000 dogs are being sterilized annually. Dog sterilizations are being done in East Delhi at MCD Hospital in Ghazipur and by the NOIDA SPCA. It is now the policy of MCD to sterilize and vaccinate dogs and encourage RWAs and individuals who are engaged in it. This program has been adopted very successfully by many societies in Delhi and other cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, Jaipur, Chennai etc.

STRICT LAWS

We would like to bring to your notice that catching and removing street dogs, or harming, killing them is in violation of the judgment of the Delhi High Court given on 16 December, 1992 in Smt. Maneka Gandhi vs. MCD/NDMC Suit No. 1246/92. The court has said that street dogs are a part of the city and just being classed as a stray dog does not mean it should be killed. The court had accepted that sterilization and vaccination of dogs is the only scientific and humane solution of the so-called problem of street dogs and directed the MCD / NDMC to follow the same.

The court had observed that ‘It needs no great learning to appreciate that dogs or animals are not encroachers on earth and there is no question of eliminating them….it is the duty of every citizen to have compassion to animals including dogs…. All state functionaries such as MCD/NDMC cannot ignore this obligation’.

Harming, killing or subjecting any animal to pain and suffering is an offence under Section 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (PCA act), 1960, and Sections 428 and 429 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The punishment for these crimes includes a fine and an imprisonment of upto 5 years or both.

We would like you to please inform the residents of your area regarding the sterilization and vaccination program, the laws, the Delhi Court judgment on dogs and also MCD’s commitment in this regard. Please request the residents not to indulge in activities violating the Court judgment and the laws (PCA Act and IPC) and help the MCD, NGOs and individuals engaged in the sterilization and vaccination of dogs of the colony. This is the only way that will create a safe and healthy environment for both humans and animals.