To stop the spread of rabies, Dhaka South City Corporation announced in mid-August that it would launch a program to relocate the city’s 30,000 stray dogs to other districts, primarily to areas away from Nagar Bhaban, Dhanmondi, and other VIP areas. However, the DSCC began relocating the stray dogs prior to the Mayor’s official order, and over the course of three days, moved 15 stray dogs on an experimental basis from South Dhaka’s Nagar Bhaban and VIP neighborhoods to the Matuail landfill. Animal rights advocates and supporters in general, who had been against this action from the start, then protested. On September 2, a human chain protesting this relocation process was held in front of the Nagar Bhaban by activists from six animal welfare organizations and some volunteers.
Every year, more than 2,000 people and numerous animals in Bangladesh succumb to rabies, with rabid dog bites accounting for 98% of human deaths. However, only 6% of dogs in Bangladesh are rabid. Additionally, the first round of a health ministry project to eradicate rabies by 2022 has already vaccinated 70% of the city’s stray dogs against the disease. In 2019, approximately 48,000 dogs received vaccinations, of which 28,000 came from the DSCC area alone. Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the second round of vaccination has been discontinued. The risk of rabies infection in Dhaka South will increase if the dogs are relocated without receiving their rabies vaccination, primarily because other dogs will occupy the areas if the old ones are relocated. Artists paint images of pet animals on a wall on Dhanmondi Road-10 in the capital yesterday as part of an awareness campaign by People for Animal Welfare Foundation. In these circumstances, is it the best course of action to relocate the stray dogs to other areas? In response to Dhaka South City Corporation’s decision to abandon 30,000 stray dogs outside the boundaries of the capital, the organization launched a two-day campaign to save the animals. Photo: Prabir Das.
The Obhoyaronno- Bangladesh Animal Welfare Foundation’s founder and chairman, Rubaiya Ahmad, stated, “First of all, this relocation process cannot be the right way to deal with the issue because it is illegal. Most importantly, removing stray dogs from their natural environment is not scientific. The majority of these dogs have received vaccinations, and they serve as rabies soldiers. If we move them, other unvaccinated dogs will take their places, spreading it further. Relocation is also unethical from a humanitarian perspective; we simply cannot evict these animals from their homes. “.
Saria Saguaro, an artist and activist, said: “Moving the stray dogs won’t solve anything. When we relocate them, they don’t have access to enough food and engage in fighting with nearby dogs, which causes even more damage. And according to the most recent update, the relocated dogs have begun to return to their original habitat, proving that it is clearly ineffective. “.
Then it happened again on Sunday. As seen in the video below, he stood in front of the van to prevent it from passing and even managed to free a dog. However, he claimed that as a crowd of residents began to encircle him, the van accelerated to another part of the community.
Sinha concurs that dogs have become more aggressive in society. “They are aggressive because there is no food. These poor animals are being starved. In the past, there were many more feeders, and they would consume food from the trash cans. Now the bins have been relocated outside the gates. ”.
Since she had been trying to call the police all day, activist Guha is happy that people were able to do so in person.
Now, there are still seven dogs missing. Sinha only wants this to be advantageous for the dogs. “We have pictures of the people and the van’s number, but where is the driver?” The investigating officer does not need to be bottle-fed. I want them to discover this more than anything else. ”.
Additionally, the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules, 2001 do not contain any specific penalties or punishments. However, they are subject to the Rs. 50 fine under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 1960. This is related to Sections 428 and 429 of the IPC, which make killing and maiming animals illegal and carry sentences of three to five years in prison.
How other countries deal with stray dogs
According to the World Health Organization, there are 200 million stray dogs worldwide. Impressively, the Netherlands is not contributing to this statistic. The absence of stray dogs has made it the first nation in the world. In the Netherlands, having dogs used to be considered a status symbol. The wealthy kept dogs as pets or for sporting events, while the lower classes kept mutts (mongrels) for work purposes. The Hague hosted the founding of the first animal protection organization in 1864. A century later, the Animal Protection Act came into force. It is now prohibited for an owner to mistreat any animal. They implemented the Collect, Neuter, Vaccinate, and Return (CNVR) program, a government-funded sterilisation initiative that covers the entire country. According to the World Animal Protection Agency, it is the most effective method for reducing the number of stray dogs. The Netherlands has also established an animal police force to keep an eye on animal-related crimes, such as helping animals in need. A “smart vest” created by a Thai advertising firm may enable stray dogs to serve as watchdogs for Bangkok’s streets and alleyways. Photo courtesy: The Star, Malaysia.
A rabies epidemic that has been going on since 2008 has already claimed 78 lives in Bali alone, where the number of stray dogs is estimated to be 500,000. Despite killing between 120,000 and 200,000 dogs, immunizing 262,000 dogs, and other measures, the epidemic persists. The government had outright banned dogs from the streets due to the ongoing epidemic and a lack of human anti-rabies vaccines; this was likely the first such law to be implemented in this region of the world. The rabies outbreak caused by stray dogs in Bali is not unusual; India regularly eliminates up to 100,000 strays, and attacks by roving packs of dogs in Baghdad have prompted the reinstatement of the same eradication program that involves eliminating over one million stray dogs.
Likewise, dog rescue organizations and animal shelters are mushrooming across Asia, Eurasia, the Middle East, parts of Latin America, and the Caribbean. Shanghai and Singapore are two jurisdictions that have created pound facilities to house stray animals, while in other places, private citizens have established humane societies and informal volunteer groups to care for rescued dogs.
When asked if these policies could be implemented in our nation, Rubaiya Ahmad responded, “I think so. With proper support and resources, it is very much feasible. “.
“I believe that what we lack is the necessary training of veterinarians and dog catchers to put these measures in place. With adequate training facilities, the quality of work can undoubtedly be improved, and better service can also be guaranteed, according to Saria Saguaro.
The Covid-19 pandemic has caused a delay in the second vaccination round. However, these are not good reasons to remove stray dogs from their natural environment. During the court case between the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) and The Animal Welfare Board and People for the Elimination of Stray Troubles submitted an “implementation framework for managing street dog population, eradicating rabies, and reducing human-dog conflict.” “.
The removal or killing of any stray animal is forbidden and illegal under Sections 7(1) and (2) of the 2019 Act, unless it can be proven that the animal is harming people. Any party or organization that is offended by a government body’s actions may exercise their constitutional right and file a writ petition with the appropriate court.
FAQ
Can you relocate dogs in India?
Relocating stray animals from their territory is prohibited by law. Relocating stray animals is prohibited by Sections 11(1)(i) and (j) of the PCA Act of 1960. But a recent incident in Gurugram exposed the horrifying practice of beating and removing stray dogs from their homes in sacks.
How can a stray dog be removed from society in India?
How do I file a complaint about the stray dogs at the housing cooperative? If a stray dog has hurt any members of the housing society, call the regional animal control board.
What do you do when a stray dog won’t leave?
- Capture and contain it with care. If possible, try to capture and contain any stray dogs or cats you come across.
- Call the authorities. …
- Check for ID. …
- Get the pet scanned for a microchip. …
- Take pets with no ID to an animal shelter. …
- Post the missing pet online or in local papers.
How long can a stray dog live?
The average life of stray dogs is between 3. 5 to 4 years. There are several causes of their deaths. The main causes are mishaps on highways and railroad tracks, a lack of food, contaminated water, tumors anywhere on the body, and frequently being beaten by people. Older.