It is not an unknown fact that dogs are fiercely and fervently loyal to humans. They easily get connected to us. But do we as humans deserve their loyalty or obedience? What are we giving back to them? Are we providing them with any better life or instead ruining their lives?
We buy popular dog breeds from outside the country which might be born with unnatural breeding, but we do not care to pay attention to the health problems caused by artificial selection. We want our dogs to look more appealing and bold, no matter if they face any health issues or not. After buying a dog, we tag on social media, boasting about our ‘expensive’ new dog for the first few months. Then when we are done with our brag and boast, we drop them on the streets because we are now jaded. We think dogs are just for entertainment!
Street dogs in India are facing a huge problem: overpopulation. Our country holds a population of stray dogs of 35-40 million which is a major concern for the health of both humans and dogs. Hence dogs in India are experiencing a degraded quality of life, and they have become the carrier of diseases like rabies which is majorly affecting human health. Our country holds the highest number of human rabies deaths than any other country, with 20,000 deaths each year in India out of 59,000 deaths worldwide. This situation has arisen due to a failure in following the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2001. Instead of opting for a more rational solution like sterilization, Government carries out mass killings of dogs to bring the dog population down.
To solve a problem with something, we would not eradicate the whole thing only. But people do not understand this. They think that mass slaughter is the only solution to the problem. For instance, you might remember the politician protest of Kerala in 2016 where they hung stray dogs on a pole to fight the Stray Dog menace. Countless such incidences, of which we may not have a record, are still occurring.
In this case, sterilization is very effective in controlling the stray dog population. It will decrease the number of deaths caused by rabies and also make the life of dogs better. At least mass sterilization is a much better option than mass slaughter.
But what about the outdated laws against people committing such atrocities? In India, protection of stray animals is assured under the Prevention of Animal cruelty Act, 1960. Under Section 428 of the Indian Penal Code, people can be charged up to a maximum of 50 rupees even if they kill a stray dog. But for killing a pet dog, the punishment is of 5 years in jail. Such a huge difference between pet dogs and stray dogs! Is it because stray dogs are not anyone's so-called property, or they do not carry any value?
Finally, an amendment in this section 428 under the Indian Penal Code was proposed for increasing it to 75,000 Rs. and a jail term of 5 years in February 2021. But when will it get implemented effectively? No one knows because they do not consider this a problem worth giving attention to!
I would like to conclude by suggesting that you do not need to go too far to foreign breeds, just take a look outside your home, and you will find the same cute creatures with whom you may fall in love!
Special thanks to- Adyanshu, Prachi Khatri and Raghav Goyal.