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Making sense of the dilemma over stray dogs

We have allowed the problem to achieve gargantuan dimensions before going in for solutions that are clearly impossible to achieve

A street dog hiding in a pile of garbage (Credit: Ranjit Lal)

The trouble with sorting out the current issue regarding the fate of stray dogs, is that both sides seem to have equally valid and relevant points of view.

On one hand (now seemingly supported by the courts, but still open at the time of writing) certainly no one wants to see their child, elderly parent or themselves being shredded by a pack of hungry or over excited strays – animals in that frame of mind are just like… shall we say, the human lynch mobs that are becoming so common today as well. When a pack of dogs goes into hunting mode there’s little that can stop them. And sometimes the ‘hunting mode’ switches on without apparent instigation. Yes, if you run from them, they will definitely chase, if you stand still they might just surround you, so it really can be a tricky and nasty situation to get out of. And, some may lunge without provocation at all.

Children especially are scared of dogs and will scream if one approaches them – which could be another trigger for the animal to get excited and snap. But if the child has been educated about dogs (after all, KG books start off with ‘kutta wafadar janwar hain’ – the dog is a faithful animal), and even better has one at home, he or she will not panic but usually get down and pet and fuss over the animal (much to an accompanying adult’s trepidation) and share its ice-cream with it.

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The elephant in the room, of course, is rabies, one of the nastiest viruses known to us, dogs and several other species. Once the virus infects the animal, it knows that it too is doomed unless it escapes its host or hostess. So it irritates its host to the degree that the animal goes and bites another victim, transferring itself to another host via its saliva and so on in a macabre game of tag.

Attacks by dogs – or any other animal gone seemingly berserk – can be extremely traumatic and may well give the victim a lifelong phobia against the animal. What is unforgivable is if the dog in question is a pet – and alas, these days, many dog owners (who so fondly call themselves pet ‘parents’) keep dogs bred for hunting animals like wild boar and bears. Many such species have been banned, though the sensible way out would be to ensure that not only the dog but the owner gets military style training in how to socialise these potentially lethal animals before being allowed to keep one – with periodic refresher courses every year or so. Or as has happened with bulldogs and boxers, breed out the ferocity and breed in the goofiness.

As for strays, which in India are fondly called ‘Indies’ when adopted, the problem is also one of numbers. There are just too many of them and as usual, we have allowed the problem to achieve gargantuan dimensions before going in for solutions that are clearly impossible to achieve. Clearly neutering and sterilisation is one way out to reduce their numbers, though it will take its own sweet time to make an effect on the ground but it is a way out and has worked in several places.

‘Rehoming’ thousands of strays is not workable – you need space, dogs are territorial and the result might just be the same as stuffing 500 rats in a shoebox and seeing what happens. Not pleasant. As for culling, well that’s not a nice thing to do to an animal, which if you took home and cared for, would willingly put down its life for you, if need be!

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I’m not sure what the current policy in the West is regarding the treatment of strays – probably each country has its own set of rules – but I do remember the stipulation, that a stray picked up from the street be kept in a ‘pound’ for a stipulated period of time (usually a fortnight or a month). If retrieved by its owner or adopted during that period, all is well, if not the dog is ‘euthanised’. Till late, they were even doing these to retired police dogs (famous K-9 retirees), which is truly shameful.

Here, the battle is fought in the streets and in housing colonies, and wherever (everywhere) we throw our garbage. There are those who have made a calling of feeding and taking care of packs of strays in their colonies, and those who hate them and will stone them on sight. Sadly, we seem to lack the discipline to ensure that these two differing groups do not clash. Feed and look after the strays in their own areas, and socialise them too, so they do not get into the hair of those who do not like, or are scared of, them. I have kept three big dogs – two Boxers and a Lab – and can vouch for at least two of them.

I will always be wary when confronted by a pack of lafanga-like strays, lolloping around with that indolent grin on their faces and gleam in their eyes and will keep my distance. But more so, I’m afraid of the marauding gangs of city-dwelling rhesus macaques (one of which attacked me) because they seem to think so much more like us than dogs… Perhaps, we should think of first controlling the numbers of rabid vehicle users that are on the loose everywhere and accounting for two lakh lives annually. This, alas we seem to accept as par for the course.