The State government on its own or through NGOs conducts rabies vaccination on the stray dogs. While in principle this programme needs to be lauded, one thinks that we need to take a broader view related to the problems about the stray dogs. 

These canines are a nuisance to every community across India as their shit dirties building areas, roads, open ground and near garbage dumps where they additionally strew the garbage all around etc. 

Also with their noise of barking at all times of the day and particularly night contribute to noise pollution and insomnia among some people. 

These strays have been known to attack human beings particularly small children and old people to the extent of killing some across India. 

When the government or the NGOs are catching them for giving them the rabies shots which exercise in physical success is probably just one out of a pack of 10 dogs since as soon as the strays see the dog catchers they start barking to warn their canine friends and run away. 

In any case with the small number of strays those are caught and then released again, why the government or NGOs do not take them off the roads, to the shelters or wherever, so they are off the roads of creating nuisance for the community at large. 

A policy decision can be taken to give people a first chance of adopting these strays as pets, instead of releasing them in packs into the adjoining jungles far away from where they were caught or start culling them. One has to understand that keeping dogs as pets is not an issue but having strays on the roads is a serious community problem and it is time that we have stray dog-free roads. Therefore, we should now initiate a concerted programme to catch stray dogs and get rid of them.