PONDA: Over the past several years, the Ponda taluka has recorded a monthly average of 70 dog bite cases, underscoring the dangers of the stray dog menace and the urgent need for measures to curb it.
Hospitals in Ponda have confirmed treating a substantial number of dog bite victims who are subject to a course of drugs and injections to keep dreaded diseases such as rabies at bay. With the stray dog population in the taluka virtually rising by the day, people have now demanded an immediate solution not only for Ponda town, but also for the villages in the taluka.
While poor management of garbage is the major cause for the stray dog population, strays tend to become aggressive when food is scarce, or if they feel threatened by humans.
“Due to the rising number of stray dogs in the town, people are scared to go out for morning or evening walks as they risk being chased by canines, some of which even bite without provocation,” Ponda resident Viraj Sapre said.
Another local, Vishal Fadte, said that stray dogs pose a risk to school children too, and recalled that there have been instances in the past of young children being attacked by them. “They also tend to cause road accidents, which is why a dog shelter in Ponda town is an urgent need,” he added.
People For Animals (PFA) an NGO that treats, sterilises and administers anti-rabies vaccines to dogs at its clinic in Curti, Ponda, stressed on the need for more financial support from the government, and land for a hospital dedicated to strays. The NGO, which presently operates on property belonging to the state Animal Husbandry Department, said 5,000 square metres of land is needed for a shed for stray dogs.
Tejan Naik, who is in charge of the PFA said that the NGO began its activities in 2002 and presently receives Rs 980 per stray dog from the government as financial assistance for sterilisation and anti-rabies vaccination.
“So far, we have sterilised 2,261 stray dogs and have administered an equal number of anti-rabies vaccines too. However, we struggle
to meet the monthly expenditure on staff, so work on the ground tends to suffer,” he said
PFA at Ponda has 14 staff, including three doctors and eight dog-catchers. It covers Borim, Kundaim, Bhoma, Savoi-Verem, Kavlem and Bhandora.
