Oh My Dog!
Let’s look at some basic math so we understand the why’s, how’s, who’s and what’s about the stray / community dog population in India. A female dog, over her 10 year lifespan litters over 120 puppies. How? She gets into heat cycle twice a year. They mate during this season and an unsterilized (Unsterilized = NOT sterilized. Sterilization = Animal birth control program) female gets pregnant. 2 litters a year equals to 12 pups (considering it is 6 pups per litter).
Assuming the female is fertile for 10 years of her life, we're looking at 120 puppies per female dog in her lifespan. Moving on, Half of her litters are usually female (source of this information is based on years of baseline data). Each female pup, if unspayed (Unspayed, a term usually reserved for female dogs) = Unsterilized. Sterilization = Animal birth control program), will litter another 120 from the age of 6 months and so on. Here’s a visual explanation of that. Note: The number of litters per year could range between 10-16 depending on the health of a female dog. (Image credit: https://streetpaws.org/ )
“I would leave working out the subsequent arithmetic to you!”
So who sterilizes the dogs?
The Govt of India recommends controlling the population of stray / community dogs through implementation of FREE ANIMAL BIRTH CONTROL program. There are ABC / AR (Anti rabies) programs running all over the country. As you’re reading this, there are thousands of them striving (govt bodies, NGO’s and individual volunteers) to make a difference by contributing in their small ways. BUT THE BUCK DOESN’T STOP HERE.
The sheer magnitude of catching, sterilizing and releasing such a huge number of stray / community dogs has been a big challenge.
If we’re sterilizing dogs, why am I seeing so many of them around?
The ABC programme must be implemented scientifically as we continue to support and work with the government to scale facilities. In order to work with the government successfully, local authorities, NGO’s and individual caretakers / volunteers MUST be supported by their communities. How will just a dozen NGO’s, govt bodies & volunteers spread across cities and states manage to create an impact on a situation of this magnitude?
Sterilizing dogs and vaccinating them, apart from controlling the population, reduces other issues such as-
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Mating aggression in males
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Puppy–protection aggression in females
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Reducing the number of starved, injured, sick, aggravated and dead animals on the streets
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Far better controlled rabies
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This means fewer people getting bitten as well as fewer injured dogs.
Hence the most impactful & humane form of animal welfare is to sterilize more and more dogs.
BBMP (In Bangalore and other equivalent municipal governing bodies in different states) sterilize community dogs and drop them back after necessary post operative care and anti rabies vaccination. Caretakers monitor and medicate on the street as needed & guided by professionals. In other cases, if a caretaker is unavailable, local citizens work with BBMP or other designated authorities for in patient support until the dog recovers.
For the above to run seamlessly, feeding stray animals AKA community animals is a key part in building a trustworthy human-animal relationship. In order to sustain this relationship, community animal caretakers play a pivotal role.
The street is their home and these animals are recognized as citizens of India as per the law and there are constitutions protecting them.
So being compassionate towards animals is FAR BEYOND Good deeds, astro-scientific triggers for remedial solutions of karmic burdens or folkloristic illustrations of mortals & immortals being associated with animals. It is a necessity.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?
Regardless of what drives you towards or far away from stray / community animals, it is in YOUR INTEREST to remain INVOLVED to encourage harmony & order in your community.
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Get aware & spread awareness. (it is our social, legal and moral responsibility to tend to them.)
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Work closely with community animal caretakers to inform about dogs who need sterilization and vaccination
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Work with local authorities (BBMP), Ngo’s and veterinary hospitals to facilitate sterilization & vaccination drives in your area.
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Report animals in distress so they can get medical help.
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Consider passive or active adoption! Either as an individual or as a community.
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Feed if you can OR encourage the ones who do it. There are ways and means to agree on designated feeding areas the feeding slots.
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Be a responsible caretaker. Do not litter the place. Don’t be a noisy feeder. Agree on an amicable solution to coexist with people who many not be comfortable with animals.
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Relocation, poisoning, hurting or starving of stray / community animals is a legal offense. Threatening & harassing colony animal caretakers is a legal offense. So refrain from it.
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Let’s practice HARMONIOUS COEXISTENCE AMONGST OURSELVES AND THE ANIMALS.
The strays / community animals of India (Dogs, cows, cats, horses, pigs, snakes, donkeys, birds and other species) ARE HERE TO STAY, AS WE ARE. THEY ARE PROTECTED BY THE LAW, AS WE ARE.
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