Response 8: Children killed by Stray Dogs

Killing of animals is banned by law. The ban was implemented owing to the inhumane way in which animals were being killed. This is an important issue, the ban however fails to achieve the objective of humane treatment of animals. Only yesterday, I saw a car run over a small pup, seriously injuring it. The animal has been limping around in pain since then. This happens all the time. All strays are diseased and malnourished.

Meanwhile the strays cause a health hazard and traffic hazard and cause human suffering and, in this extreme case, even death.

The proposed solution, animal birth control methods, is unviable due to the fact that (a) all civic authorities are basically incapable of doing anything* (b) the problem to be dealt with is huge.

Thus we have a lose-lose situation, usually the result of all Indian legislation.

1) Repeal the law

2) City to set-up a dog-catcher certification course in consultation with animal NGOs – this course should provide the equipment and brief training to anyone who wishes to catch dogs. [what should this course contain? i am not an expert, here’s one idea. use blowguns, like those used by s.american indians, with darts tipped with a sedative. blowguns and darts should be cheap, sedatives may have to be provided by govt.]. the course should have a fee.

3) Pay certified dog-catchers for every dog caught alive. no reward for dead/injured dogs.

4) Dogs remain in civic dog-pound for a certain period of time. IF any NGO wants to save the animals or perform birth control procedure on it, they have to buy the dogs from the city and do the needful. All dogs in dog-pound after a certain time period (1 week?) will be destroyed using a barbiturate injection/dart.

Thinking behind this solution.

No point in expecting corporation to do something that they clearly can’t. By “out-sourcing” the dog-catching part, there is a chance it might work. NGOs should be given a chance to “do the right thing” and save an animal from death BUT if they are unable to handle the load, then you ensure that people dont suffer and the dog dies. NGO can use this as a strong message to animal lovers “help us with funds and/or your time, else an animal dies. simple!”

I am trying to think of all ways in which people and authorities will try and subvert the system. NGOs will have to keep an eye on civic authorities. Demand that they keep records and publish them. Keep the price of the course and the reward such that a person/org can make a decent amount of money but not too much (to prevent someone from trucking in dogs from somewhere just to collect a reward). animals on which birth control surgery is performed should be marked with fluorescent dye. obviously no reward for catching it. (use a somewhat expensive and hard to get dye, to prevent people from “saving dogs” by marking them).

– Ranjit