India's Stray Dog Problem

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In India, one can’t help notice the strays that prowl our streets. One finds them everywhere. Not just dogs, but also cats. I am partial to cats (I have two at home), but love dogs too. I feed stray cats a lot. I sometimes carry food with me to feed stray cats. I have never gone out of my way to feed a stray dog, but perfectly understand why some would do so.

However, let’s admit, India has a stray dog problem on its hands. On February 19, 2023, a four year old child was mauled to death in Hyderabad by stray dogs. In Delhi, a few weeks ago, two small children were mauled to death by stray dogs.

What’s the solution? I would hate to see any stray dog being killed. However, we can’t allow feral strays to kill small children.

In Mumbai where I live, stray dogs are not a big problem, at least in my experience. The Mumbai municipal corporation has innovative plans for sterilizing stray dogs. Kerala, where I have my roots, has a big problem with stray dogs. This CNN report highlights the issues and suggests various solutions, but to be honest, there is no easy solution in sight.


 



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