Stray dogs can be spotted in abundance throughout the state, often exhibiting a mix of behaviours, from seeking human affection to asserting territorial dominance. However, incidents of stray dog attacks and confrontations with people have ignited a discussion within the community of animal enthusiasts, raising questions about how to manage and interact with these animals safely.
Environmental activist Avinash Tavares called for a comprehensive solution to the issue, likening it to problems like garbage and road accidents, which he attributes to years of government and public negligence. “With regards to dog attacks on certain individuals, we have to look at the problem and solve it holistically. This issue is similar to garbage and road accidents, which have been created over years of neglect and lack of responsibility from the government and the people,” said Tavares.
Tavares emphasized that a key step towards resolution involves the sterilization of not only street dogs but also those in households. “Since the dog population is growing the dogs have to survive by defending their territory and their food sources. Sometimes they do attack humans, although the number of dogs attacking humans is barely less than 5%, most of the dogs are very shy, they run away when humans are around,” he added.
Tavares advocated for the implementation of the “Animal Birth Control Scheme,” funded by the state government and overseen by panchayats. “If the villagers are concerned about the issue of stray dogs they should approach the gram sabha and pressure the panch members to pass this resolution, identify land and sign an MoU with an NGO, this scheme can be implemented and the population of dogs can be brought under control, this should also be done to pet dogs because people dump the puppies in markets and other areas even though the local dogs are sterilized. Culling is not the answer,” said Tavares.
Advocate Shashank Narvekar echoed Tavares’ views, highlighting the shifting responsibility for sterilization from private agencies to municipalities. He suggested that municipalities should establish well-maintained dog pounds as a means to manage the stray dog population. Narvekar emphasized the need for monitoring agencies, including animal rights activists and government officials, to ensure the humane treatment of animals in these facilities.
“A monitoring committee should be established for a dog pound since you do not need a big area. The problem is stray animals are not been given attention that’s why it’s happening, if you give dogs attention then the number will reduce,” said Narvekar adding that stray dogs require attention and responsible management, rather than resorting to culling as a solution.
However, Suryakant Chodankar pointed out that sometimes dogs chase vehicles or people, causing fear and leading to accidents. He highlights the importance of vaccinating these dogs to prevent the spread of infections and diseases. Chodankar emphasizes the need for government action in addressing these issues. “Dogs run behind bikes and the rider gets scared and loses control of the vehicle causing accident. Some unvaccinated dogs even bite people and could spread life threatening viral disease. So the govt should do something about this issue,” he said.
