STRAY ANIMALS: A SOCIAL IMPACT AND SOLUTIONS
Dr. Anshita Sharma1, M.V.Sc. (AGB), Dr. Priyanka Meena2, Dr. Brajesh Kumar3
Assistant Professor, 1Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Assistant Professor, , 2Department of Veterinary Pathology, Assistant Professor, 3Department of Livestock Product Technology, Apollo college of veterinary medicine, Jaipur
Corresponding author – anshita.anki@gmail.com
In India, the issue of stray animals is not new. These animals frequently halt traffic flow, resulting in major road accidents. The situation worsens at night, when the freely roaming makes it difficult for drivers to spot them due to darkness. Many lives have already been lost, and many more have been injured, as a result of stray animal accidents. Due to excessive barking and biting, stray animals such as dogs have become a major issue in cities, causing not only noise pollution but also health concerns for human society.
What are stray animals?
Stray animals are defined as street animals that are born and reproduce on the street and have never been owned, lost animals that could not find their way home, or abandoned animals that are no longer wanted and are abandoned on the street or taken to a shelter by their owner. Stray animals are NOT wild animals; they live as domestic animals wherever they go.
The main cause of stray animals is abandonment, which is followed by uncontrolled breeding among them, resulting in the second, third, and so on generations of street animals. Time constraints may be a factor in pet abandonment because people underestimate the time required to properly care for their pets. A behavioral problem such as aggression, medical problems, the cost of pet ownership, lifestyle changes such as health difficulties and financial issues for owners, housing problems, and so on, are exacerbated by a lack of legislation or enforcement regarding abandonment, identification, and registration.
As a stray animal, large animals, particularly cows, pose more challenges. The majority of these cows come from illegal or unregistered roadside dairies and cattle sheds; many are abandoned by owners due to loss of reproductive ability, old age, cessation of milk production, or inability to afford them any longer. Non-milking cattle are also released to save feed. After milking the cattle, the owners let them go so they can graze outside.
Human health concerns related to stray animals
There are numerous stray animal-related health concerns to human society. Most of the animals that roam the streets of cities are unhealthy; they do not eat grass or other hygienic foods. Most of these are constantly eating food from garbage and leftovers, and many of them are obviously diseased or sick, raising health concerns for both humans and animals. Animals serve as reservoirs for many of the most dangerous food-borne and water-borne pathogens. Manure and wastewater from animal feeding operations have the potential to introduce pathogens and pollutants into the environment, including antibiotics, nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus), hormones, sediments, heavy metals, organic matter, and ammonia. Some of the illnesses caused by these agents result in only temporary health problems, while others result in severe crises and even death.
Steps towards solution
Large animals, particularly cows, contribute significantly to the stray animal population. The solution is to shut down the unauthorized dairy farms. Following that, the establishment of large Gaushalas in appropriate locations capable of caring for a large number of stray cattle must be promoted. A dairy or cattle shed’s license should be revoked if its cattle escape from its premises and these dairies should be relocated outside of the city.
Furthermore, stray cattle owners who allow their cattle to roam freely in city streets must be fined appropriately. To catch stray animals like dogs, the municipal corporation should hire a strong animal catching squad. Pet ownership, trade, and garbage management must all be regulated in order to control the stray animal population.
Animal health laws must be strictly enforced because stray animals have a direct and negative impact on humans and the environment. Large-scale animal birth control programmes should be implemented. Education about responsible pet ownership should be promoted to the general public. Finally, public participation will be greatly appreciated.
https://www.pashudhanpraharee.com/solution-to-controlling-stray-dog-population-in-india/
https://www.strawindia.org/blogs/12/stray-dogs-are-a-social-responsibility-a-perspective.aspx
