Life without parole: The state of Delhi-NCR strays?

India Today

17 hours ago

The Supreme Court, while passing its absurd order on the capture and permanent relocation of stray dogs in the National Capital Region to shelters, asked the public not to show any sentiments. As human beings, we ought to have compassion and humanity and a lack of it typically leads to crimes.However, in the next few months, if the screams and cries of dogs and puppies haunt you, remember – you'd be doing the right thing by staying silent and simply watching them being taken away to be crammed into tiny spaces where they will meet their eventual, brutal deaths. To show up as a model citizen, you could probably openly celebrate the redressal of the stray dog menace because clearly, it's the sole problem plaguing Delhi and its adjoining areas right now – not pollution, lack of women's safety, appalling drainage systems or filth on the streets.advertisementAnger-induced judgments that fail to consider practicality are now a reality in India. Dogs, who have lived with human beings for centuries, are facing unprecedented hate simply for their existence.
'We are not doing this for us; it is for the public interest. So, no sentiments of any nature should be involved,' Justice JB Pardiwala said at Monday's hearing.Thanks to the directive, the civic authorities in Delhi-NCR are now looking at an enormous task, which is honestly, mission impossible. Delhi has no dedicated dog shelters, and only 20 sterilisation centres with an overall capacity to house 2,500 dogs at a time. To reduce the number of stray dog population, 4.5 lakh sterilisations need to be done yearly, meaning 70 per cent of the canines. However, the existing capacity only allows for sterilisation of 1.25 lakh dogs.Expecting the process to be completed within eight weeks can be described as baffling at best and delusional at worst.The stunning order takes away years of work by authorities, animal rescuers and activists who ensured strays were immunised and sterilised. Shelters should be reserved for ill, old, and aggressive dogs who need to be handled by trained people.Sagarica Banerjee, co-founder of the Noida-based Earthlings Trust shelter, elaborated on the matter. 'Dogs in shelters need to be kept as per their temperament. Keeping all of them together, especially after forcibly removing them from their familiar environments where they were born or lived for several years, will trigger fights and the dogs will eventually kill each other,' she told IndiaToday.in.Additionally, no matter how trained the employees are, dealing with traumatised animals isn't an easy task. For the unversed, dogs too feel fear, anxiety, happiness and grief. By pushing these 'trained employees' to care for canines in such conditions, are we really ending dog bites or deaths due to it?'Hypothetically, even if the authorities manage to find space and build enough shelters to house all the dogs, aren't the people employed to feed the canines in danger? They need to enter the enclosures of the dogs to feed them,' Banerjee rightly pointed out.advertisementShelters are not permanent solutions to curbing the stray population, because there can never be adequate space to house all the dogs in Delhi-NCR. And so, even if all dogs are removed and put in far-off shelters, those from other states will quickly fill up the streets, usually unsterilised, unvaccinated and unfamiliar with the surroundings – increasing territorial fights and food disputes. Wouldn't that pose a graver threat to people? In the shelters, meanwhile, vaccinated dogs will encounter the unvaccinated ones, leading to a breakout of diseases and putting caregivers in a vulnerable situation.A more rational idea would have been to encourage adoptions and educate the public on stray dogs through awareness programmes to reduce incidents of human-animal conflicts.During Monday's hearing in the Supreme Court, there was mention of The Netherlands, which in 2023 became the first country to be free of stray dogs. The three key elements of the Dutch model included – the CNVR programme (Collect, Neuter, Vaccinate, and Return), levying high taxes on those who buy dogs from breeders and pet stores thereby promoting adoption, and an animal police force to act against abuse and help in rescue.advertisementLike the Dutch model, in India too, we have ABC rules which were framed under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. The ABC Rules, 2023, supersede those of 2001, which were found not to be effective in quelling the population of stray dogs. Three major steps of the rules include sterilisation, vaccination against rabies, and release to their original location. Under the rules, permanent relocation of dogs is unlawful. The Supreme Court, bizarrely, called the rule 'absurd' and asked authorities to 'forget' about it for now. Judges asking governments to breach rules must be a rarity. The bench also tossed concerns about disrupting the natural ecosystem into the air.Banerjee highlighted that with all stray dogs being removed from Delhi-NCR, a vacuum will be created, meaning an infestation of rodents and monkeys will mount, which is even harder to control.'Steet dogs hunt rodents. Fear of the canines keeps monkeys at bay. With them gone, the city streets will be filled with monkeys, which are even harder to catch. Also, in these shelters that they plan to build, even if they are in the border areas, there will be territorial bickering not only among dogs but also among other animals,' she said, stressing that rabies can spread from any animal and not just dogs.advertisementHaving said that, the fact that bite cases are being reported daily cannot be discarded -- after a major dip seen during the pandemic, dog bite cases have risen to 37 lakh in 2024. It also cannot be dismissed that some strays get triggered without any provocation, instilling perennial fear among people. And being chased by a pack of dogs leading to accidents is bound to evoke anger.When I was in school, I was chased by a pack of seven dogs and tripped on the street while returning home from tuition. For more than a month, I would walk down the street with an unimaginable fear of being mauled to death. However, having had pet dogs while growing up, it was easier for me to fight that fear and move on.It is, however, not easy for everyone, especially those suffering from cynophobia. And this is where authorities need to implement control and responsible care and rehabilitation of dogs.No matter where you stand on the dog feeders vs residents debate, the fact remains that feeding dogs near housing societies – knowingly or unknowingly – triggers territorial behaviour. The dogs tend to become aggressive regarding their territory and attack if they feel threatened. Designated feeding spots, away from residential areas, would eliminate territorial fights and keep the canines calmer, allowing people to move around without fear.advertisementIncorporating awareness and responsible welfare and rehabilitation drives along with effective implementation of the ABC rules would have been the correct path to curb the stray population. Instead, the Supreme Court turned a blind eye to ground reality and basically gave a go-ahead to a relocation process that will end up inflicting cruelty on dogs.Answering the question of why the stray dog population has only increased despite decades of ABC rules in place is the need of the hour. But the Supreme Court failed to do so.(Sharangee Dutta is the Chief Sub Editor at India Today Digital. She loves covering human interest stories, watching thriller movies, and cooking elaborate meals when there's time. She is a big fan of tennis and all things 90s)- Ends(Views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author)Must Watch
IN THIS STORY#Supreme Court#Delhi