Goa witnessed approximately 40 dog bite cases on an average everyday during the last seven months from January to July this year. Without doubt, almost all, the growing number of dog bite cases is due to the unarrested street dog menace that the country as a whole, and Goa in specific, has not been able to resolve. But, Goa’s encounters with canine problems has taken a new direction and shifted the goal post after the recent mauling of two minors by a Rottweiler at Oitiyant in Taleigao. The horrific incident has opened up a new debate about owning certain breeds of dogs as pets.
In July last year, in Lucknow, a Pit Bull attacked the mother of its owner and injured the elderly woman seriously, who later succumbed to her injuries. The incident had become the talk of dinner tables in every home due to the coverage it received in the electronic media and after going viral on social media platforms. In December 2021, a five-year-old son of an army officer was attacked by a Rottweiler in the Delhi Cantonment area belonging to another serving officer.
In response to the incidents, especially in and around the National Capital Region (NCR), the Indian Army banned Rottweiler, Pit Bull, American Bulldog, Bull Mastiff and German Shepherd in the Cantonment areas. The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum in Gurugram ordered the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) to ban 11 breeds of dogs, including Rottweilers, from being domesticated and kept as pets within its jurisdiction. In addition, the licences which were previously issued to such owners had been revoked.
But the question is, does that solve the real issue that’s plaguing society. While on one hand the stray dogs menace remains unresolved, on the other hand handing out blanket bans on owning of dogs is just another extreme step of ‘cancelling culture’ and ‘banning culture’ to recuse and avoid a larger responsibility.
The underlying reality is that there is a big difference between being a pet lover and just owning an animal as a pet for the sake of status symbol. More than often, the incidents of terror that are unleashed by these animals on humans or other animals is due to the lack of training and domestication methods. A pet lover ensures to learn and understand the nuances of caring and keeping the pet at home, just like a vehicle owner who learns the details of good maintenance when purchasing a vehicle.
In the current case of Oitiyant, Taleigao, it is claimed that the owners of the Rottweiler which attacked the two children are not exactly pet lovers but have kept the dogs as a symbol of elitism, which comes with the economic status. It has also come to light that the strong dogs were handled by a domestic maid and not by a trained person.
Therefore, taking into consideration the rise in the number of cases involving the special breeds of dogs, rules and regulations to own and maintain them are needed more than ever before. A ban has never solved any issue and chances are it will never.
While the rule book says pets are to be registered and fees are collected accordingly, the government has to step up its regulations in matters of animals and breeds of animals which are potentially ferocious. The terms of their domestication are to be specified and such canines shouldn’t be allowed to be kept in housing complexes and group dwellings or close-knit community housing areas. Secondly, it should be made mandatory that they are trained and trained personnel attend to these animals. And for any reason if the dog has to be taken out of its living space, then specific guidelines including muzzle, chain, etc, should be made mandatory and executed. Lastly, such incidents of callousness should be treated as criminal offences and without delay cases should be booked against the owners.
