Not right to remove strays, say dog lovers; others call SC order a relief

Hindustan Times

a day ago

Gurugram, A debate has started here following the Supreme Court's order to pick up stray dogs and keep them in shelter homes, with people troubled by the increasing number of dog bite cases terming the verdict as a relief while the dog lovers say it is not right to remove stray dogs at once. Not right to remove strays, say dog lovers; others call SC order a relief
The dog lovers said that if the stray dogs are vaccinated properly, there will be no need to remove them. The government should focus on animal birth control so that their numbers do not increase. The government has failed to control breeding and, therefore, this decision has been taken, they alleged.
According to an official report, around 700 to 800 dog bite patients are reaching the government hospital every month in Gurugram. Most of these were bitten by pet dogs. There was a shortage of rabies injections in the hospitals on several occasions, the report said.
Dog bite cases are on the rise in Gurugram. Two weeks ago, a woman was attacked by a leashed Siberian Husky during an evening walk in a society located on the Golf Course road. The attack, which was captured on CCTV and went viral, showed the dog biting the woman and refusing to let her go despite attempts by the owner and bystanders to intervene. The woman sustained injuries and was taken to the hospital.
In May, a Pitbull attacked a cab driver in Sector 29. On June 10, a Pakistani Gul Dong attacked a mother and daughter in Om Vihar in the Palam Vihar area.
On June 27, a stray dog reached the fifth floor of the Zara Awas society in Sector 104 and attacked a 16-year-old boy there.
"The number of stray dogs has increased so much that dogs are found sitting at a short distance from the houses. There is a fear of sending the child out of the house alone.
"Apart from children, adults are also at great risk from these dogs. After the Supreme Court's decision, there is some relief that now we will be able to get rid of these dogs," said Kamal Goyal, a resident of Antriksh Heights society.
Naveen Chandra, a resident of RD City apartments, noted that many cases of dog bites have been reported in the societies recently. Children have also been bitten by stray dogs many times, he said.
"If aggressive dogs are removed, people will get relief. In the last few months, people have developed a fear of stray dogs and it is very important to remove these dogs," Chandra said.
On the other hand, the dog lovers do not agree with the decision of the Supreme Court.
"Work should be done for animal birth control. A drive should be conducted in Delhi-NCR to catch and vaccinate the stray dogs. If the government needs volunteers for this, it will get cooperation. Removing dogs in this manner is wrong," said a member of the NGO, Save Animal.
A dog lover agreed with the apex court's decision to take better care of dogs but expressed apprehension, saying the condition of the dogs can worsen if it is not followed efficiently.
"If a dog contracts a disease, it can infect the other dogs. Efforts should be made to get their vaccination done on time," he said.
Following the Supreme Court order, stray dogs in Delhi-NCR, including Gurugram and Faridabad in Haryana, will be captured and relocated to shelters, with a focus on sterilisation and vaccination. The order mandates the creation of additional shelter capacity for approximately 5,000 dogs within six to eight weeks. The court also emphasises that any resistance to the dog removal process would be met with strict action.
A senior official of the Gurugram administration said that they have not received the orders yet but they will comply with the order.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.