TIMES OF INDIA
BANGALORE: Believe it or not, culling stray dogs won’t help reduce their numbers. They only multiply. Co-founder and chairman of Blue Cross of India, S Chinny Krishna , who studied Chennai’s culling policy in vogue since 1860, says the strategy failed leading to drastic multiplication of strays.
But after implementation of the Animal Birth Control’s anti-rabies programme, places like Jaipur, Chennai, Kalimpong and many parts of Hyderabad have become rabies-free.
Following the spate of dog-bite cases in Bangalore, the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) and Voice of Stray Dogs, a voluntary organization , on Wednesday advised BBMP to implement strict wastemanagement measures and ABC rules. “When the catch-and-kill policy started in 1860 in Chennai, they used to kill two dogs per week. But the procedure did not show any results even after being implemented for 100 years. In the 1990s, almost 16,000 dogs were being culled every year but they continued to multiply. However, after implementation of ABC rules, rabies cases in Chennai reduced from 120 in 1996 to zero in 2007,” Krishna said.
STRAYS STILL MAN’S BEST FRIEND
Actress and founder of Blue Cross Hyderabad Amala Akkineni said if stray dogs are neutered properly they can help protect the locality against canines from other areas which may be carrying rabies.
“Local stray dogs can be very useful. They are known to be friendly and create safe territories for people. Hyderabad is not yet rabiesfree but most pockets have been made free by implementing ABC. An adult dog has the intelligence of a three-year-old and can be very loyal,” she said.
WHAT CAN BANGALORE DO?
Every area/community needs to map its garbage dumps, get them cleared and managed effectively (stray dog population is directly proportional to food availability) Implement pet shop and dog-breeding rules. Identify breeders who are not neutering their stray dogs Implement ABC/ARC rules effectively in Greater Bangalore. Teach children not to run when they see a dog. Instead look away and walk quietly.
Deccan Herald
Adopt humane methods to tackle dog menace’
Bangalore, July 20, DHNS:
Culling or relocation of stray dogs is not a solution to the dog menace in Bangalore city.
What is required is a well planned animal birth control (ABC) and anti-rabies vaccination programme, which, if monitored and executed well, can curb the population of dogs.
This was the collective voice of animal activists of The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) and The Voice of Stray Dogs.
Addressing presspersons here on Wednesday, following BBMP commissioner’s statement on seeking Supreme Court’s permission to cull canines on the street, Rakesh Shukla, a volunteer of The Voice of Stray Dogs said the BBMP’s strategy to dislocate dogs would only cause more problems in the City.
Not welcomed
“Dogs mark their territories and dislocating them will only increase conflicts, as newcomers are not welcomed. Culling of stray dogs took place in Bangalore before the implementation of ABC programme in 2001, and this was not a success,” he said.
Actor and founder of Blue Cross – Hyderabad, Amala Akkineni said it was saddening to see the civilised society hardly raising its voice to stop the inhuman treatment meted out to animals. In 1990, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Society for Protection of Animals (WSPA), came out with guidelines for a systematic sterilisation programme, instead of mass killing of dogs.
Based on the guidelines, the activists said there was a need to strengthen animal birth control and anti-rabies programmes, which they felt were under the threat of being altered or discontinued.
Not because of killing
Dr S Chinni Krisha, co-founder and chairman of Blue Cross said streets of Singapore and Sydney were free from strays, not because of indiscriminate killing of dogs. But, because of the sound policies adopted by the governments, he explained.
The activists also cited examples from across the country, including the BBMP’s own successful campaign that helped dramatically reduce the incidents of dog bites in the City.
Civic participation
Besides emphasising on adopting more humane methods of addressing the issue, the activists also highlighted the importance of systematic disposal of garbage and civic participation in maintaining sanitation in the City.
Bangalore Mirror
With the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike commissioner announcing stray dogs could be culled in order to control their population as well as incidents of attacks on humans, the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) and The Voice of Stray Dogs, a voluntary organisation that works dedicated to the cause of stray dogs in the city, met on Wednesday to discuss the issue of dislocation and culling of dogs. The meeting was attended by Dr S Chinni Krishna, co-founder and chairman of blue cross-India, Amala Akkineni, reputed actress, founder and chairman of Blue Cross, Hyderabad and a member of the AWBI and Rakesh Shukla, an active volunteer with The Voice of Stray Dogs among others. BBMP wants to cull strays
While several measures have been adopted by the municipal corporation to control incidents of dog menace on city roads, many of them seem to have had little or no effect in curbing the number of stray dog-related incidents that are reported in the city. The forum focused on specific shortcomings in strategies such as culling and large scale displacement of dogs adopted by agencies. These measures besides flouting laws pertaining to animal rights, do not succeed in yielding the desired results.
Studies indicated that dogs breed so prolifically that even the highest recorded removal rate, which stands at 24 per cent, does not significantly impact their population or reduce the spread of rabies. On the other hand, well designed sterilisation programmes systematically followed in several countries have shown encouraging results with the reduction in dog population and the number of human rabies cases.
Amala said, “While we claim to be a civilised society, it is saddening to note that we hardly raise our voices to stop the inhumane treatment being meted out to animals that have shared our living spaces for thousands of years.”
Recognising this fact, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and World Society for Protection of Animals (WSPA), in 1990, came out with guidelines that advocated systematic sterilisation programme in place of mass killing to reduce dog population. Based on this, the panel advocated the need to strengthen animal birth control and anti-rabies programmes which are under the threat of being altered or discontinued in order to address the issue of dog menace in the city.
“The streets of Singapore and Sydney are free of stray dogs not as a result of indiscriminate killing, but because of sound policies adopted to address the issue,” said Dr Krishna.
The panel cited several examples across the country including BBMP’s own successful campaign that helped dramatically reduce the incidents of dog bites in the city. Besides laying strong emphasis on adapting more humane methods of addressing the issue, it also highlighted the importance of responsible ownership and civic participation in maintaining sanitation levels in the city to make Bangalore stray dog free.
Indian Express:
http://expressbuzz.com/entertainment/news/killing-is-not-the-way-for-reducing-stray-dogs/296239.html
IBN Live
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/killing-is-not-the-way-for-reducing–stray-dogs/169048-60-119.html
DNA
http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore/report_to-deal-with-strays-in-bangalore-clear-garbage_1567854
Hiranmay Karlekar