Stray Dogs Vs Pet Dogs

While Bangalore is famous for its greenery, good climate, IT/Biotech industries, it is also famous for Monkey & Dog menace! It seems these monkeys also played in Common wealth games stadium in Delhi recently. The local authority BBMP has totally failed to control the menace of both these animals so much so that sometimes back the Karnataka Chief Justice of High Court had to tell that ‘NGOs & Dog lovers should keep stray dogs in their bedroom or bathroom’! This has deep rooted thought to be tackled by civic authorities.

Whenever the news of dog bites is flashed on the front page of any newspaper, BBMP just sends the van, round up 1 or 2 dogs and that’s the end. In fact I have seen them letting off these dogs in nearby next locality. They never visit again or go to the next street!  These dogs are so clever that the moment the van arrives; they vanish from the spot in no time. The dog catching van should come again and again at different times including night visit at least for one week in all the streets so that one time escapee dog is caught some other day.

The ABC (Animal Birth Control) programme initiated by health department has failed miserably. Mere ABC programme will not suffice. What about ferocious dogs which keep chasing and bites children and innocent people? What about those dogs which keep barking all nights. The role of so called Animal protection NGO’s is just reduced to oppose any move by BBMP to eliminate such dogs but they have done very little on their own to end this menace except feeding these menacing dogs whenever they come near their house! Unless some drastic steps are taken, people will keep getting terrorized by these unwanted pets.

BBMP & NGOs should also discuss the issue of ‘Pet dogs’ hitherto neglected. The household pet dogs are also adding to the menace by barking on the slightest pretext at odd hours causing disturbance to peace of other residents. It is strange that many a times the owners do not bother to find out as to why their dog is barking? If the dog is for security, is it not fare for the owners to come out to find what’s wrong and stop the dog from unnecessary barking. Owners of such pet dogs never realize that there are other residents also staying in their vicinity where an ailing person, senior citizen or students are being disturbed at odd hours. Another issue relates to the ‘Poo’ droppings on pavement in front of ‘YOUR’ house when the owner of the dog takes it for an outing. Of late, some people are raising their voices against this matter too.  

Just owning a pet dog and putting up a “Beware of Dogs” sign board is not enough. They also need good care, hygienic living, medical attention, timely food and outing and above all proper training to listen to the commands of the master. This is not happening in majority of the case. Like any human being they are also prone to become restless and depressed in absence of love & affection from all concerned.

And in the end, here is another bad news for dog lovers. BBMP is contemplating restricting the pet dogs to 3 but how are they going to implement and supervise, is a question they only have to answer. I am not ‘anti-animal’ but I love them in natural habitat. The problem being ‘social’ in nature needs to be debated and trashed out collectively by civic authorities, NGOs as well as Animal lovers together.