Spare the dogs, says expert committee

Srinagar: The six-member expert committee constituted by government to suggest measures other than ‘Animal Birth Control’ to get rid of dog menace in this capital city has said no to the mass killing of canines.
Instead, the committee has advocated curtailing food waste availability for the canines and has also suggested Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) to set up a control room to address victims of dog bites.           
The committee headed by Suresh Kumar, Administrative Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department, was constituted by government on June 25 on the directions of the High Court.
“In view of the limitations of Section 304 of the Jammu and Kashmir Municipal Corporation Act, 2000, and the safeguard provided to animals in the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1990, no action can be initiated which leads to killing and elimination of stray dogs,” the committee says in its report, a copy of which is with Kashmir Reader.        
On July 9, hearing a Public Interest Litigation, a division bench of the High Court had directed the expert committee to decide whether it would like to take action against dog menace in Srinagar in terms of Section 304 of Jammu and Kashmir Municipal Corporation Act 2000 and Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Act 1990.
“The Section 304 (1) mainly relates to the regulation and control of dogs which are required to be registered with the Municipal Commissioner,” the committee said, adding, “Further, Section 304 (1) empowers Municipal Commissioner to confine or destroy any dog or other animal which is, or is reasonably suspected to be suffering from rabies.”  
The expert committee has pointed out that multiplication rate of the dogs is quite high but their survival rate mainly depends on the availability of the food.
“If the food is available in abundant quantity, the multiplication and survival rate will be higher. If the availability of food waste is curtailed, this will have a bearing on the proliferation rate of the dogs.”
The committee has also recommended SMC to launch widespread advocacy campaign through print and electronic media to educate and inform public.
“This will ensure that the fear and confusion vis-à-vis stray dogs often fuelled by rumours and media hype will be contained. User friendly messages should inform the people particularly children how to engage and deal with the stray dogs without panic, fear or aggression. This will create better harmony and radically reduce the bite rate.”  
In addition, the committee said, “the world over dog bite statistics is high amongst the children and Srinagar in no exception.” The reason for this, it said, is that “children tend to tease, hit and irritate dogs without realizing the repercussions.”
The committee has also suggested that the SMC should undertake intensive and continuous sanitation drive in order to eliminate the availability of waste food to dogs. “The public needs to be educated not to throw the waste food in the open.”
“SMC should set up control rooms quipped with adequate manpower, transport and other equipment to act as a public grievance cell to address victims of the dog bites.”
Besides, the committee has also recommended that the Health Department should run sufficient dog bite treatment and anti-rabies centers in different hospitals which will provide treatment at subsidized rates.         
The members of committee included Commissioner SMC, Dr GN Qasba; Director Animal Husbandry, Kashmir, Dr. MR Fazli; Associate Professor, Veterinary Clinical Complex, FESE Shuhama, Dr. Shabir Ahmad Mir; MS Jasjit Purewal of Animal Welfare Board of India; and Rahul Sehgal, Director Member Humane, Society International Ahmadabad.