While many residents and organisations claimed that such a step should be implemented in Delhi, others said the conflict could be resolved through sterilising and vaccinating dogs by involving people.
The State of Pet Homelessness Index report, which was released in November last year, estimated that 80 million homeless cats and dogs in India were living in shelters or on the streets.
Bombay High Court directs officials to take action against those who feed stray dogs on streets
Meghna Uniyal, director and co-founder, Humane Foundation for People and Animals, which is a party to the Supreme Court stray dog case, said, “Feeding and taking care of unowned dogs is done across the world in shelters. Indulging in this hobby in public places is the definition of public nuisance. Being a loyal animal, a dog is protective about where it is fed. When it’s fed at home, it’s an excellent guard dog, but on the streets it naturally becomes territorial about that area and attacks people at large. On e cannot partially own a dog. ” “All existing laws and Acts for the protection of humans and animals mandate the removal of stray and unowned dogs from the streets. The Animal Birth Co ntrol Rules, instead, require them to be maintained on the streets for sterilisation and random vaccinations. This is not done in any civilised country and they are rehomed, sheltered or euthanised. In the US alone, approximately 10 lakh unowned dogs and cats are euthanised every year,” added Uniyal.
Rachna Mittal, a resident of Jagriti Enclave Phase-III, said stray dogs had bitten so me people in her locality. “There is a big pack of stray dogs who chase every outsider and even vendors and hawkers are reluctant to visit the colony,” she added.
How to manage the stray dogs problem in urban group housing societies
A 78-year-old man from Nizamuddinwho was beaten by dogs twice in the past one-and-a-half-year, said, “Street dogs get attached to the place where they are fed. When I was returning home from an evening walk, two dogs who were being fed pounced on me and bit me so brutally that flesh came out.”
However, many activists said the high court order didn’t give a solution to the problem. Ambika Shukla, director, Sanjay Gandhi Animal Care Centresaid, “Regular feeding makes dogs healthier and friendlier and it enables sterilisation at the initiative of feeders. The population of dogs will decrease if feeders handle and get them sterilised. This order shows little understanding of the issues involved.”
“This order suggests that those who fed dogs should also home them , but if municipalities want feeders to take responsibility, they should be provided with means like land and resources,” added Shukla.
Alokparna Sengupta, managing director, Humane Society India, said, “The court order is extremely disappointing and puts the lives of thousands of street animals in peril by making statements contrary to the law and orders of the Supreme Court. It is also impractical. The local authorities must be held accountable for lack of proper implementation of animal birth control.”
Sengupta added that through their work in Vadodara, they had seen that community engagement and implementation of the animal birth control programme can work wonders for street dog management and resolution of the man-do g conflict.
Rajni Shetty feeds 800 stray dogs daily