{"id":115091,"date":"2025-02-28T10:54:15","date_gmt":"2025-02-28T10:54:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/animal\/why-indian-cities-are-struggling-to-deal-with-stray-dogs\/"},"modified":"2025-02-28T10:54:15","modified_gmt":"2025-02-28T10:54:15","slug":"why-indian-cities-are-struggling-to-deal-with-stray-dogs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=115091","title":{"rendered":"Why Indian Cities Are Struggling to Deal With Stray Dogs"},"content":{"rendered":"


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On 10 March, two children aged 7 and 5 were reportedly killed by free-ranging (\u201cstray\u201d) dogs (FRDs) in a forest close to their slum cluster in the Vasant Kunj area of New Delhi<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

According to The Hindu<\/em><\/a>, the post-mortem report stated that the victims suffered \u201cmultiple canine bites to their neck, head and spine\u201d. These bites \u201cwere the primary causes of shock and haemorrhage, which led to their deaths\u201d. This isn\u2019t the first time FRDs have killed people in India.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dr Aniruddha Belsare, assistant professor of disease ecology at Auburn University, has listed<\/a> 86 cases of stray dogs committing either serious or fatal attacks on humans in 2022, resulting in 33 deaths across the country. Of these, 27 were among children under the age of 13. This data was based on reports published in English newspapers and media outlets.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, as per data collected by Dr Abi Tamim Vanak, an animal ecologist, conservation biologist and faculty at the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, more than 300 people, primarily children from poor and rural families, have been killed or grievously injured by dogs between 2016 and 2020. Although the National Crime Records Bureau <\/em>(NCRB) doesn\u2019t specify such direct FRD-related deaths, what\u2019s not in dispute is that dogs on the street are killing people.<\/p>\n

These figures don\u2019t even take into account that dogs are the main vectors of the rabies virus in India. According to the World Health Organization (WHO)<\/a>, India accounts for 36% of the world\u2019s rabies deaths, \u201ccausing around 18,000-20,000 deaths every year\u201d. WHO also goes on to note that dog bites contribute \u201cup to 99% of all rabies transmissions to humans\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Data cited in the Indian Parliament reports that there have been nearly \u201c16 million cases of stray dog bites between 2019 and 2022, an average of over 10,000 cases daily\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n

On the other hand, however, animal rights activists have raised alarm over what they believe to be \u201cmass hysteria surrounding dog bites\u201d. This hysteria, they believe, has either resulted in fake news surrounding dog bite incidents or the indiscriminate killing of stray dogs.<\/p>\n

One example of fake news is the recent case of a student at Shiv Nadar University<\/a>, who murdered his classmate. During their investigation, the police noted that the university \u201cinitially said it was a case of dog bite, and refused to cooperate,\u201d according to The Indian Express<\/a>. This false claim made its way to social media platforms before it was eventually debunked.<\/p>\n

This mass hysteria, however, has also resulted in horrific acts of cruelty against stray dogs, including instances where they were beaten to death.<\/p>\n

How can we strike a balance between protecting the welfare of stray dogs while also protecting innocent people from getting attacked by them? <\/p>\n

It\u2019s evident that there is a growing problem of stray dogs in our cities and the rural countryside. This problem, some experts believe, underpins the failure of government policy and animal rights activism in not just protecting vulnerable people, but also the welfare of stray dogs.<\/p>\n

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Pack of stray dogs of different colors on the road, near a vehicle. (Image courtesy Shutterstock\/Ajay Tvm<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Are stray dogs the problem?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Until 10 years ago, Huma Hazarika Sharma hated dogs and never cared for them. Even if she saw a puppy on the road, she would turn around right away. One day in 2010, however, a street dog named Jeffery befriended her when she was living in Vasant Kunj, Delhi<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOver time, I slowly warmed to him. He would come home to sleep at night and would let us know when he wanted to be let out. Jeffery was a friendly dog with a protective presence. Every time, I would come back home late and get off at the market near my place, he would walk back with me to ensure I was fine. This entire episode taught me how well animals can bond with us if treated well. Jeffery was an adorable dog who had never bitten a soul, but he would bark at strangers. After all, it\u2019s what dogs do because they\u2019re territorial creatures. A dog barking at you doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s going to bite, unless you provoke or become violent towards it,\u201d she notes, speaking to The Better India<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In 2014, Huma rescued her first dog, a two-month old puppy bitten by other dogs, who was lying injured for about 24 hours and suffering from hypothermia.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThree different veterinarians (vets) told me that he wouldn\u2019t survive and that I have to put him down. However, after recovering for a week, he survived. When I rescued him, I realised the rest of the litter had been bitten by other dogs and only one of his siblings was left. So, I adopted his sibling too. Today, I have 10 dogs who live with me. It has been hard finding good homes for my dogs. A lot of people adopt dogs for appearances sake and don\u2019t really take care of them. There\u2019s no commitment on their part to look after them,\u201d she says.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Early on, Huma would rescue and foster every dog herself. Growing attachment to these dogs, however, meant she didn\u2019t have the heart to leave them back on the streets.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, I rescue remotely. People, primarily from the poorest quarters of Delhi-NCR, get in touch with me, send me a video of the injured dog with the location, and I send an ambulance there. Once the ambulance picks up the injured dog, I either send them to a clinic or a medical boarding where they recover. A lot of these dogs don\u2019t make it because of the severity of their injuries. Those who survive following treatment are sterilised and released back into the area where we first found them. I do this rescue work independently,\u201d she explains.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Old man in white clothes and cap playing with a dog outdoors at Pune (Image courtesy Shutterstock\/Dinesh Hukmani)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Huma does not believe that street dogs are the problem.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As she explains, \u201cWe\u2019ve taken over forests, cut down trees and taken their territory to build our homes. It\u2019s unfair to displace them and have them suffer because we decided to take over their territory. When street animals or community animals are well taken care of and when they can trust the humans living around them, they will generally not bite.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cDogs bite when they\u2019re provoked. I\u2019ve seen people throw stones at them, chase them away and been nearly run down by cars. There are people who are generally cruel to animals living on the streets. If you\u2019re cruel to these dogs, how can you expect them not to react?\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n

Huma acknowledges the tragedy of people getting mauled to death by street dogs, but believes that such episodes are the exception and not the norm.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to go back and see how these dogs have been treated in a particular area. While there might be people who take care of them, there are others who are cruel. You have a lot of residential societies in Delhi-NCR where security guards are instructed to hit street dogs and drive them away. If you\u2019re treating these dogs cruelly, what else do you expect? I\u2019m not justifying the mauling of a child, but acts like these are a reaction to how they\u2019re treated,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Vasundhara Anand, co-founder of KVAAB Welfare Foundation, a non-profit, shares the same sentiment. \u201cWe take care of 250 community dogs in Central and South Delhi. These community dogs live on a fixed route of about 25 kilometres. We have set locations where we feed them like the Panchkuian Furniture Market, NSIC Okhla Grounds, etc. Essentially, we feed and vaccinate them, while also catering to their medical needs as well. More than 80% of the dogs under our care are vaccinated and neutered. At Panchkuian Market, 100% of the community dogs are spayed and neutered. Now, we are expanding into community outreach,\u201d she says.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

In fact, she takes things a step further. \u201cAccording to me, there is no concept of \u2018stray dogs\u2019. They have been living here before the buildings were constructed. We have built a community around these dogs. Stray means there is no ownership or these animals are just lost pets. They are not strays. This is their territory. It\u2019s just that we have to learn to coexist with them. For example, the Panchkuian Market has developed around the dogs who were already residing there. Why should they be relocated?\u201d she argues.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dr Vanak, however, does not buy the argument that humans have encroached on the natural habitat of FRDs. He believes such arguments \u201clack a complete understanding of ecology, wildlife, ecosystems, biodiversity, nature and our own relationship with animals\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cDogs, a direct descendent of the grey wolf, Canis lupus<\/em>, were one of the first domesticated animals. Humans have encroached on the habitat of wolves<\/a>, but to argue that we have done the same to dogs makes little sense. Dogs are commensal species or they\u2019re domesticated species. So, there is no question of dogs living without humans,\u201d he tells The Better India<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf dogs are indeed wildlife and we are encroaching upon their habitat, then why are you sterilising them? Why are you feeding them on the road? Why are you rescuing them from the street and adopting them in human homes? If they\u2019re wild animals, you shouldn\u2019t be doing any of those things. If the streets are a natural habitat of dogs, it should be illegal to adopt them,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

He also strongly disagrees with the notion that stray dogs attack only when provoked. \u201cDogs, which have been trained to attack, attack people when provoked. Street dogs, on the other hand, will attack for various reasons. They\u2019ll attack when they\u2019re territorial. When do they become territorial? When they guard the area where they get food. That is their territory. If you feed the dog on the street that area becomes its territory,\u201d he says.\u00a0<\/p>\n

According to the \u2018Revised Module for Street Dog Population Management, Rabies Eradication and Reducing Man-Dog Conflict\u2019, published by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), \u201cunprovoked\u201d bites might occur when \u201cmale dogs are chasing a female which is on heat, and may tend to bite passers-by\u201d and because \u201cdogs in packs follow their leader (alpha male) and tend to behave accordingly\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In both circumstances, the AWBI claims that sterilisation offers a panacea. It\u2019s a common belief that sterilisation \u201creduces\u201d aggression in stray dogs, but there is no conclusive evidence. According to a 2021 paper titled \u2018<\/em>Influence of Gonadectomy on Canine Behavior<\/em><\/a>\u2019 <\/em>by authors including Dr Clara Palestrini, a professor of veterinary medicine at the University of Milan and member of the European Board of Veterinary Specialisation (EBVS), \u201cThere is a common belief that castration reduces aggression, but there is an absence of agreement in the literature.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cInterestingly, their individual territoriality breaks down when you have excess food gathered in one area. You\u2019ll often see many dogs gathering around a garbage dump for food. There\u2019s no territoriality between those dogs there because food is in excess. But what happens then is that they start forming packs. As pack size increases, their aggression increases and their hunting instinct takes over. Then if they see something they can hunt down, they\u2019ll attack,\u201d says Dr Vanak.\u00a0<\/p>\n

According to him, that\u2019s what you see when they maul people to death.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For example, in mid-April 2023, a 65-year-old man was mauled to death by a pack of stray dogs in a park on the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) campus.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Look at the sequence of events in the CCTV footage below (Trigger warning: The video may cause distress<\/em>). It starts with the arrival of one dog who bites him, following which a few more join in. They all started biting, chasing and surrounding him. Once he falls down, they all attack him.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat you\u2019re seeing is a classic initiation of a hunting attack. Whenever you have packs of dogs, they will hunt. That\u2019s exactly what happens whenever anybody gets attacked, killed or mauled. It\u2019s not provocation, but pack formation that leads to deadly attacks on people. And why does pack formation happen? It happens whenever you have massive resources gathered in one place. Feeding one or two dogs is fine, but when you feed five, seven or ten dogs at one location, that\u2019s when pack formation occurs,\u201d says Dr Vanak.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the course of going through CCTV footage of people getting mauled by dogs, it\u2019s apparent that there is no provocation from the victim whatsoever,\u201d he adds.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

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