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| Sep 08, 2009 7:19 am |
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Stray dog menace - An appeal |
| Vivek Dev
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I would like to draw your attention to the stray dog menace that is increasing by the day. The authorities used to kill the canine pests but animal rights activists petitioned the Bombay High Court in 1995 against the practice. Their appeal was regrettably upheld and the court directed the authorities to control the population of the strays through sterlisation.
Over the last 15 years since the launch of 'Operation Stray Dog' the population of the pests has increased manifold posing formidable problems for the citizen. I wish to draw the attention of all concerned citizens as well as the medical fraternity to the grave public health and safety and security issues that an ever increasing population of the canines poses for the already harassed citizen. I would especially like the medical fraternity to seriously consider the public health and safety consequences of this misstep and support the cause of organisations and citizens who are campaigning to roll back the Animal Birth Control (ABC) scheme and revert to the methods that were being used earlier.
I have been pleading for support from public figures, political parties, scientists, media people over the last several years but have not yet been able to persuade anyone to take up a position on the issue.
I am opposed to the scheme on a number of grounds including the following:
1. Stray dogs are a health hazard. Every stray dog carries zillions of micro-organisms which it picks up from the garbage, sewers, nullahs and other such places which it frequents. The germs can be passed on to humans to strike and cause diseases when the conditions are right.
2. Stray dogs being animals cannot be expected to behave intelligently and will attack humans especially children. Indeed many cases of children being mauled by the animals have been reported in the media. In a recent case on Aug5 a five year old boy in Bhiwandi was savaged by a pack of 15 stray dogs and had to be rushed to Sion hospital. The boy suffered over 100 bites on his tiny body in the attack. Fortunately the boy received the right medical treatment at the right time but others have not been so lucky. In 2007 in two separate incidents in Bangalore two kids ended up as stray dog food.
3. It is a known fact that populations of species are kept in check through natural predator-prey relationships. Stray dogs have no predators to keep their population in check. It has been observed that when such relationships break down, other natural processes come into play. This includes appearance of hitherto unknown viruses and micro-organisms that can be passed on to humans. Medicine often has no ready answers to such micro-organisms and it may take months and years to develop effective lines of treatment. Under such circumstances the results may be catastrophic. The AIDS virus is one such virus that has been passed to humans from animals.
4. India accounts for 80 per cent of the deaths caused by rabies a disease that is passed on to humans by dogs. The disease has been virtually wiped out in the rest of the world, in India 35,000 people die of the disease every year.
Friends, I think it is time medical professionals as well as concerned citizens start asking our animal rights activists who are laughing all the way to the bank even as our kids end up in hospitals,some tough, inconvenient questions.
I have myself analysed the issue thoroughly and have challenged any individual or organisation to refute my assertion - ' The only good stray dog is a dead and safely disposed stray dog' on the basis of logical arguments based on facts and scientific evidence.
I am ready to pay a sum of Rs1,00,000 any individual or organisation that can successfully prove me wrong on this. I would expect to be similarly compensated in case of my assertion cannot be disproved.
I appeal to all Ryze members to help in rolling back this hare-brained scheme that not only wastes hundreds of crores of tax-payers rupees but also deprives people of their right to safety and security against these canine pests.
Needless to say, I would be ready to answer any question on this issue.
Please understand the grave threat to you and your kids and family.
PS- I had written an article opposing the animal rights acitivists and the high court verdict which was published in September 5,1999 issue of Bombay Times. It gives me no pleasure to say that my dire warning that the ABC would take a toll of human lives has been proved accurate many times in the last 10 years.
I would especially like to hear from those in the legal profession as to what can be done to reclaim the citizens' right to safety and security.
Private Reply to Vivek Dev (new win) |
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