Guest guest Posted April 10, 2008 Report Share Posted April 10, 2008 >The doctor says it must be a stray dog because stray dogs are after >flesh. Pet dogs are not like that. All persons bitten had their >flesh bitten out. So the animal welfare doctor says it must be a >stray dog. This is astonishingly poorly informed. The U.S., in which virtually all dogs are owned & confined, has had exactly the same ratio of bites requiring medical treatment as India, where most dogs run free, for at least the past 10 years: one per 63 human residents. In the U.S., the typical dog comes into proximity with fewer than half a dozen people per day. In India, free-roaming street dogs are typically in proximity to thousands. The likelihood of a pet dog biting someone is accordingly astronomically higher than the likelihood of anyone being bitten by a street dog, for several fairly obvious reasons: # Street dogs are not inclined to " defend " people they perceive as their family from the approach of strangers. # Street dogs are not inclined to be territorial about access to human dwellings and places of business. # Street dogs are not chained, which accentuates dogs' territoriality and adds an element of frustration to any other aggressive tendencies their may have. # People don't play roughly or recklessly with street dogs. # The log of U.S. & Canadian dog attack fatalities and maimings that I have kept since September 1982 indicates that just 163 out of 2,382 included any element of predatory behavior: 6%. The other 94% resulted chiefly from territorial responses. Street dogs are primarily scavengers, and secondarily are specialized predators of rats, mice, & other rodents, smaller than themselves. Dogs who attack larger prey typically do it in packs, and are much larger dogs than Indian street dogs. There are occasionally dog attacks in India that fit the predatory pattern, like the one that killed a little girl named Sri Devi in Bangalore in January 2007--but because that was the typical three-dog attack of hunting dogs, not at all a typical street dog biting incident, my assessment after reading the autopsy report is that it was probably done by an owned pack who got loose or were abandoned, not by any of the street dogs who were in the vicinity. I later learned from members of the Animal Rights Fund that there was indeed a hunting pack at a home nearby, who sometimes escape t terrorize the neighborhood, fit the description of the dogs whom I surmised were probably responsible, based on the autopsy information. The attack was never linked to any specific individual dogs, so exact confirmation of just what happened to Sri Devi may never be available. >In a district where there are 20 lakh people, there are 101401 dogs. >This is according to the survey conducted by animal welfare board in >2003. Out of this, 91743 dogs are pets, 9658 stray dogs. As the balance of the dog population shifts ever more toward dogs being pets, biting incidents will rapidly increase. >Only 32830 dogs are given immunizations and treatment. According to >district animal welfare center, the anti rabies dose given last year >were 14000. People are not coming with their pets to immunize for >less (Rs.5 as against Rs. 40). The persons who came with their pets >last 4 months were just 200. At least 70% of the dog population needs to be immunized to prevent the spread of rabies, and the community should aim for 100%, to eradicate rabies entirely. -- Merritt Clifton Editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE P.O. Box 960 Clinton, WA 98236 Telephone: 360-579-2505 Fax: 360-579-2575 E-mail: anmlpepl Web: www.animalpeoplenews.org [ANIMAL PEOPLE is the leading independent newspaper providing original investigative coverage of animal protection worldwide, founded in 1992. Our readership of 30,000-plus includes the decision-makers at more than 10,000 animal protection organizations. We have no alignment or affiliation with any other entity. $24/year; for free sample, send address.] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 11, 2008 Report Share Posted April 11, 2008 At least 70% of the dog population needs to be immunized to prevent the spread of rabies, and the community should aim for 100%, to eradicate rabies entirely. (WOULD THIS NOT BE THE CASE FOR ANIMAL STERILISATION TOO?) On 4/11/08, Merritt Clifton <anmlpepl wrote: > > >The doctor says it must be a stray dog because stray dogs are after > >flesh. Pet dogs are not like that. All persons bitten had their > >flesh bitten out. So the animal welfare doctor says it must be a > >stray dog. > > This is astonishingly poorly informed. The U.S., in which > virtually all dogs are owned & confined, has had exactly the same > ratio of bites requiring medical treatment as India, where most dogs > run free, for at least the past 10 years: one per 63 human > residents. > > In the U.S., the typical dog comes into proximity with fewer > than half a dozen people per day. In India, free-roaming street > dogs are typically in proximity to thousands. > > The likelihood of a pet dog biting someone is accordingly > astronomically higher than the likelihood of anyone being bitten by a > street dog, for several fairly obvious reasons: > > # Street dogs are not inclined to " defend " people they > perceive as their family from the approach of strangers. > > # Street dogs are not inclined to be territorial about > access to human dwellings and places of business. > > # Street dogs are not chained, which accentuates dogs' > territoriality and adds an element of frustration to any other > aggressive tendencies their may have. > > # People don't play roughly or recklessly with street dogs. > > # The log of U.S. & Canadian dog attack fatalities and > maimings that I have kept since September 1982 indicates that just > 163 out of 2,382 included any element of predatory behavior: 6%. > The other 94% resulted chiefly from territorial responses. > > Street dogs are primarily scavengers, and secondarily are > specialized predators of rats, mice, & other rodents, smaller than > themselves. > > Dogs who attack larger prey typically do it in packs, and > are much larger dogs than Indian street dogs. > > There are occasionally dog attacks in India that fit the > predatory pattern, like the one that killed a little girl named Sri > Devi in Bangalore in January 2007--but because that was the typical > three-dog attack of hunting dogs, not at all a typical street dog > biting incident, my assessment after reading the autopsy report is > that it was probably done by an owned pack who got loose or were > abandoned, not by any of the street dogs who were in the vicinity. > > I later learned from members of the Animal Rights Fund that > there was indeed a hunting pack at a home nearby, who sometimes > escape t terrorize the neighborhood, fit the description of the dogs > whom I surmised were probably responsible, based on the autopsy > information. > > The attack was never linked to any specific individual dogs, > so exact confirmation of just what happened to Sri Devi may never be > available. > > >In a district where there are 20 lakh people, there are 101401 dogs. > >This is according to the survey conducted by animal welfare board in > >2003. Out of this, 91743 dogs are pets, 9658 stray dogs. > > As the balance of the dog population shifts ever more toward > dogs being pets, biting incidents will rapidly increase. > > >Only 32830 dogs are given immunizations and treatment. According to > >district animal welfare center, the anti rabies dose given last year > >were 14000. People are not coming with their pets to immunize for > >less (Rs.5 as against Rs. 40). The persons who came with their pets > >last 4 months were just 200. > > At least 70% of the dog population needs to be immunized to > prevent the spread of rabies, and the community should aim for 100%, > to eradicate rabies entirely. > > -- > Merritt Clifton > Editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE > P.O. Box 960 > Clinton, WA 98236 > > Telephone: 360-579-2505 > Fax: 360-579-2575 > E-mail: anmlpepl <anmlpepl%40whidbey.com> > Web: www.animalpeoplenews.org > > [ANIMAL PEOPLE is the leading independent newspaper providing > original investigative coverage of animal protection worldwide, > founded in 1992. Our readership of 30,000-plus includes the > decision-makers at more than 10,000 animal protection organizations. > We have no alignment or affiliation with any other entity. $24/year; > for free sample, send address.] > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 11, 2008 Report Share Posted April 11, 2008 >At least 70% of the dog population needs to be immunized to >prevent the spread of rabies, and the community should aim for 100%, >to eradicate rabies entirely. >(WOULD THIS NOT BE THE CASE FOR ANIMAL STERILISATION TOO?) Absolutely. However, Brazil and Argentina managed to eradicate canine rabies in most parts of each nation about 20 years ago just by doing mass street dog immunization--no sterilization at all. Sterilizing more than 70% of the dogs eliminates many of the other problems associated with abundant dogs, & helps to control rabies too, but immunization is the most essential part of rabies control. -- Merritt Clifton Editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE P.O. Box 960 Clinton, WA 98236 Telephone: 360-579-2505 Fax: 360-579-2575 E-mail: anmlpepl Web: www.animalpeoplenews.org [ANIMAL PEOPLE is the leading independent newspaper providing original investigative coverage of animal protection worldwide, founded in 1992. Our readership of 30,000-plus includes the decision-makers at more than 10,000 animal protection organizations. We have no alignment or affiliation with any other entity. $24/year; for free sample, send address.] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 12, 2008 Report Share Posted April 12, 2008 aapn [aapn ] On Behalf Of 11 April 2008 19:24 aapn Re: Dog phobia At least 70% of the dog population needs to be immunized to prevent the spread of rabies, and the community should aim for 100%, to eradicate rabies entirely. (WOULD THIS NOT BE THE CASE FOR ANIMAL STERILISATION TOO?) There are two issues being discussed here - rabies control and population control. Mass immunisation of the dog population is the cheapest and most cost effective way of rabies control. Sterilisation, on the other hand, helps prevent unwanted puppies being born. When 70% of the population is immunised, any rabies occurrence is generally contained without major spreading due to the herd-effect. If 100% of the population is immunised, a rabies outbreak would be most improbable. In the case of sterilisation, (in India, an anti-rabies shot is also given after spaying), when 70% of the dogs have been sterilised, the population tends to be steady with no growth. After 70% have been done, any further sterilisation leads to a drop in numbers. If 100% of the dogs are sterilised (and this will never be reached), the dog population will disappear within a few years (the life span of the dog). S. Chinny Krishna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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