Hemali Sodhi | Don’t Let Down Our Stray Dogs; They Are A Vital Part Of Society

The past few days have been witness to a hugely polarised debate on a ruling by the Supreme Court of India ordering the removal of all street dogs from the Delhi-NCR region, which includes the satellite towns of Gurgaon, Noida and Ghaziabad. This ruling comes on the back of months of heated arguments between supporters of community dogs and those who advocate for strict measures to deal with what they call the stray dog menace, drawing on heightened instances of human-animal conflict and reports of the allegedly rising episodes of bites and aggression from various parts of the country.

Perhaps the heart of the problem lies in how we approach the situation — viewing it as a “menace” rather than an issue that needs considered and thought out measures if we are to resolve it in the right way. While instances of dog bites and canine aggression are of course a matter of concern and need to be addressed, the solution has to arise from an understanding of why this is happening, cutting through the haze of scare-mongering and misreporting, and arriving at practical measures based on the principle of compassion rather than the elimination of an unwanted element — street dogs — from our environs.

The situation as it stands is rather grim — while there is no exact data on how many street dogs there are in the Delhi-NCR region, estimates range from 300,000 to close to a million. What accounts for these large numbers? We have an ABC (Animal Birth Control) programme, long recognised as the acceptable standard for controlling the population of street dogs through sustained sterilisation initiatives. However, the numbers tell another story — it is evident that the programme has not been properly implemented on the ground. Vaccinations administered to street dogs as part of the ABC drive — to prevent the spread of rabies — is another area where the system has failed, leading to some reported cases of rabies which has further fuelled the panic.

Another issue is one of forced relocation — as part of the ABC drive, dogs are regularly dropped off to a different location, an unfamiliar territory, from the one where they were picked up, possibly due to oversight or an unclear understanding of why this is critically important when a dog is released back on the street. This is a recipe for disaster — the dog, already suffering and in pain, now has to contend with the neighbourhood street dogs who are territorial; this often leads to what is seen as aggressive behaviour but is often a response caused by injuries, confusion and hunger.

To add to the already dire circumstances, our cities have immense issues of garbage and waste disposal; a walk through several neighbourhoods will show how things are piled up and thrown on the streets. This is often a hotbed for spreading disease for dogs, in addition to resulting in territorial wars over food.

All this is not to gloss over the fact that there is an issue — there is certainly a case to be made around urgent solutions needed to stem the growing instances of conflict. However, it would be patently unfair to blame the street dogs for the situation — they are simply the victims of a failed system.

What the two-judge Supreme Court has outlined as a solution in its order on Monday — to round up all the dogs and send them to shelters — is neither a compassionate solution, nor a practical one. To begin with, there are not enough shelters or indeed resources in the city, to house these numbers. But leaving that aside, the question is one of basic compassion for these community dogs, who have only known the streets as their home, and the volunteers and feeders as their family. It is unfathomable why they should bear the brunt of human failure, in a land which has held dogs in high regard in our ancient scriptures, and in the Mahabharata. The principle of compassion is at the core of Indian thought, and of the nation's Constitution.

What exactly is a “stray” dog? Those who have adopted Indies and given them a home will not tire of telling you how loyal, affectionate and wonderful these creatures are. The difference between a dog on the street and the one in your home is just that — some of the dogs are blessed to have a family that takes care of them, while those on the streets live a life they have no say in and are dependent on scraps handed out to them. The life of a homeless dog is a tough one. A “stray” dog is no different intrinsically from a home pet dog — it is what we humans inflict on street dogs that sometimes can make them react in ways that we find problematic.

What is the urgent need of the hour is a revisiting of this court order, and instead coming up with measures that are sustainable as well as humane. Amid widespread nationwide outrage and concern, in the latest development, the Chief Justice of India has set up a new three-member bench on the stray dogs case, and its first hearing was held on Thursday, where it has reserved orders at the time of writing.

We cannot be letting our community dogs down again and again. They are, beyond question, a part of our society.

Hemali Sodhi is a publishing industry professional and founder of A Suitable Agency. She is the editor of The Book of Dog, an anthology that features contributions from 45 leading writers and animal rescuers.