Street Dog-Free Delhi: To be or not to be? Residents, RWAs, animal lovers debate on ‘rehabilitation' policy

Hindustan Times

4 days ago

Increased instances of dog bites have led Delhi High Court to direct the city government to 'rehabilitate' community dogs. But, is this the right move? Residents of the Capital and animal lovers, activitists are yet again at warring sided ever since the news has come to the fore.
Several residents, especially those who have had unpleasant encounters with aggressive stray dogs, strongly feel that this action was long overdue. 'In every RWA meeting, the issue of stray dogs comes up and it's embarrassing to know that guests who visit our neighbourhood get chased or bitten by street dogs. In just the last three months we have had two such incidents,' says Anand Goel, president, Vivek Vihar Residents Welfare Association (RWA), adding: 'We have been trying to find a solution to the dog menace for so long and this step is in the right direction. Why can't we place the strays in shelters for the betterment of both the residents and dogs?'
'Leaving aside the biting incidents, some stray dogs in my society bark all night long and are a severe noise nuisance, especially to the elderly and sick persons living here,' says Rohan Mehta, a Rohini-based entrepreneur who recently held a local movement to get rid of strays in his locality. He adds: 'I care about animals, but the grievances of residents matter equally.'
For animal lovers and welfare activists, the policy for the 'rehabilitation of community dogs at an institutional level' spells a nightmare. 'It's a harsh and misguided move since relocating dogs causes them huge trauma,' opines Jigyasa Dhingra, founder, PawsInPaws. She has helped in sterilisation of over 100 dogs and feels, 'Such a drive is inhumane because many dogs get injured or even die in the process. These strays have lived their entire lives on the streets. In such a scenario, we need long-term, compassionate solutions like vaccination and mass sterilisation to curb their over population.'
'Stray dogs aren't a problem unless you make them one,' says Raunak, a second-year student at Delhi University's Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), where the issue of community dogs has been a bone of contention for long. He adds: 'Our campus dogs are our friends. Sure they act out sometimes, but that's where we step in. If every neighbourhood had a group of volunteers to check in on strays, get them vaccinated, designate their feeding zones, and get them treated whenever needed — that's enough to make it work!'