VETS IN RVC,ITBP,BSF

DELHI STRAY DOGS

July 6, 2020

412

DELHI STRAY DOGS

By -DIG (Dr.) Sudhakar Natarajan, ATS ITBP

Dogs existed in Delhi even before Delhi was named Delhi. Dogs co-existed with the community since times immemorial. Ancient Indian literature is replete with references to dogs as a member of the community. Can anyone forget Yudhistra refusing entry to heaven if his dog was not allowed entry?
We ape the worst in the west. These highly mechanized societies, have literally purged the society of community animals and sections of our vocal citizens demand to follow suit, ignoring other animal welfare modalities prevalent in industrialized countries. Sanitizing our communities of “stray” dogs is not the answer, due to a famous ‘vacuum theory’ postulated, which states that if 5 strays are taken out: 7 dogs from other areas will enter to maintain the natural ecological balance of the area.
It is now appropriate to rechristen these so called ‘strays’ as ‘community dogs’. They serve a very useful purpose of being early warning elements in their territory, alerting everyone on any intruder moving about in the dead of the night, when the neighborhood chowkidar gets his forty winks. They recycle and reduce biodegradable wastes by decreasing their volume by 400% and accelerating their assimilation with nature. The very presence of a dog in the community, sends subtle message of security to the human brain, since the fate of dog and man is intertwined since we were hunter-gatherers. The peacefully snug sleeping dog in the pre-historic cave gave a message that all was safe and the family could rest without fear. It is the same civilizational link that still continues, how much ever we may deny it.
All community dogs are friendly and would never harm humans, but a few stray incidents have made all ‘tail wagging community guard dogs’ the culprit and this gives dog-haters a lever to demand for eradication of all street dogs. By the same analogy, if a human commits a murder do we demand that all (wo)men be sent to the gas chambers?
It is an accepted fact that it is the poor who take care of community dogs since most of the rich just pass by in their subsidised diesel guzzling SUVs. I have seen the homeless allowing street dogs to sleep on one corner of the blanket covering their shivering bodies during winters and filling broken plastic containers with water for dehydrated dogs in scorching Delhi summers. There is a shelter for the homeless near Sarai Kale Khan Bus Stand where Sikh volunteers distribute langar to the poor everyday at 0900 hrs. The dispossessed have been wholeheartedly seen to share the thick langar rotis with community dogs. Just imagine the generosity it would take for a poor to share one from the three rotis s/he gets after standing in a long queue.
Summers are upon Delhi and it is painful to see community dogs running helter-skelter with lolling tongues in search of a few drops of water in the concrete jungles that we have created. We have denuded our colonies of even the smallest patch of grass by pouring concrete on the sides of black tar roads. Is it asking for too much if all Kothi owners and RWAs are requested to keep one or two flat bottomed clay pots ( costing Rs 20/- each) filled with water so that their community dogs don’t die of heat stroke and dehydration. It has been studied that community dogs travel for miles and miles in search of water in summers. All the gau-bhakts would also be happy to see bovines also benefiting from the water points, since the cow is also one of the most mistreated animals in this country of cow worshippers.
The most practical solution is ABC ( animal birth control). Humane capture, spaying under general anaesthesia and proper post-operative care before releasing the dogs from the same location from where they were taken is the key. This country has the wealth, vet expertise, facilities and NGO power to achieve this.
Dogs are very human. Delhi landscape sans dogs will lose its soul. Remember, it was our “desi dog” who escorted Yudhistra to heaven.
Bow! Bow!!