(IN) Dog population increasing,but Chandigarh MC has limited options

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from Yana Banerjee-Bey <ybbey

to debasischak

 

date Fri, Aug 28, 2009 at 2:06 PM

subject Re: Dog population increasing, but Chandigarh MC has limited

options

 

 

Hi!

Pasted below is the text of a proposal that my friends and I had submitted to

the CDG MC last year. They never wanted to work with us despite our repeated

efforts. They do some catching (the method is so brutal that eyewitnesses told

us dogs die on the spot) and keep loads of dogs in pitiful conditions while the

earlier lot that has been sterilised has not yet been released. They release

dogs anywhere. We see dogs behaving in a way that indicates they are afriad and

not in their home territory and these are dogs with shaved patches and notched

ears so it is obvious what has happened. They pick up old males, heavily

pregnant dogs, dogs with notched ears, dogs that are pets of shopkeepers,

traders, watchmen, working class children - in short, any dog is picked up.

Currently, they give dogs to the SPCA where operation and recuperation takes

place. The private vets in this city with shelters, who wanted the MC's project

for commercial reasons, are barbaric

and some are not even competent surgeons. This I say from personal experience.

We have been beating our heads against the wall for over a year...we have

appealed to the AWBI but never got a single email or phone in acknowledgement of

several mails sent to them.

 

Proposal to tackle the stray dog problem in the tricity of Chandigarh-Panchkula

- Mohali

 

Who is making the proposal

We, the undersigned, represent a group of 20 individuals working to control

rabies and stray dog population in the tricity. Some of us have 12 years�

experience. We have recently joined hands to be able to cover larger areas and

to sterilize the maximum number of females in the shortest possible time.

 

What is the method used

We follow the guidelines of the ARV (Anti-Rabies Vaccination) and ABC (Animal

Birth Control) programmes formulated by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

According to the WHO method, the first step is to identify the dogs who inhabit

a particular area. The second step is to vaccinate each dog against rabies so

that it will not contract the disease even if bitten by a rabid dog. The third

step is to sterilize the bitches so that the population is controlled.

 

Why the method works

This method works because it uses the territorial instinct of dogs. The

vaccinated dogs will not allow any outsider dog (i.e. unvaccinated and a

possible carrier of rabies) to enter their area. Thus, the area and its

residents become protected from rabies.

 

When puppies stop being born, the population remains static. Slowly, as the dogs

live out their lives and die of old age, the overall number decreases.

 

Why a dog pound is a mistake

Some people mistakenly think that clearing an area of stray dogs by putting them

in a dog pound will keep rabies away. The problem is that, when an area is

emptied of dogs, other dogs from adjacent areas move in. It was after observing

this phenomenon repeatedly that the WHO issued its directives on the only proven

method of tackling the problem.

 

Creating puppy-free zones & rabies-free zones

Our method of work is simple. We pick up female dogs from an area, get them

sterilized and release them in the same area after recuperation. When every

female is sterilized, the area becomes a puppy-free zone. We also vaccinate all

dogs in the area, male and female. When every dog is vaccinated, the area

becomes a rabies-free zone.

 

Why dogs must be released in their own areas

We take great care to release a dog in the area from which it was picked up. If

the dog is released in another area, it may indirectly lead to bite cases. When

a dog is released in unfamiliar territory, it is afraid. For self-defence, it

will adopt a high level of aggression towards other animals as well as humans.

 

Stray dogs are allies in the battle against rabies

We would like to make people aware that a vaccinated, sterilized dog living on

the street outside their houses is a barrier between them and rabies. Also, a

dog that is treated well by humans bonds with them, whereas a dog that is hit

learns to fear humans and becomes aggressive towards them. It is in residents�

own interest to make friends with the dogs on the streets outside their home or

just to leave them alone.

 

Why residents must help in this work

In our endeavour to make the tricity a rabies-free and puppy-free zone, we need

the help of all residents and Resident Welfare Associations. As outsiders to the

area, we do not know every dog in the area. The residents of that area have to

help in identification so that not even one dog is left out of the programme.

 

Who bears the cost

The cost of transport and surgery is borne by us. We are passionate about this

work, which minimizes man-animal conflict and benefits both the human community

and the canine population. It is a form of social work for us. Residents can

rest assured that all they have to do is help in identification of dogs in their

areas. They will not have to pay for anything. Neither will they have to catch

any dog. We do the catching and transportation.

 

Phone numbers

Residents can call us at the following numbers to make their areas puppy-free

and rabies-free zones. Numbers:

 

 

 

--- On Tue, 25/8/09, debasischak <debasischak wrote:

 

> debasischak <debasischak

> Dog population increasing, but Chandigarh MC has limited

options

> aapn

> Tuesday, 25 August, 2009, 6:22 AM

 

- Hide quoted text -

> http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4930559.cms

> Dog population increasing, but MC has limited options

> Rajan Walia, TNN 25 August 2009, 02:17am IST

>

> CHANDIGARH: Returning home from duty at a call centre in

> Mohali on a two-wheeler on Tuesday night, two youths were

> hounded by a pack of stray dogs

> near Beant Singh Memorial Complex, Sector 42. While the

> scared boys tried their best to dodge the canines, they

> could not avoid the dog bites. This doesn�t happen to be

> the solitary case of dog attack in recent days. A week ago,

> an elderly couple, while taking their morning stroll in a

> Sector-36 park, was chased by canines.

>

> While a number of complaints of stray dog attacks have been

> pouring in from different parts of the city, municipal

> authorities have not been able to control the situation.

> According to an estimate, the dog population has reached

> between 8,000-10,000. Admitting that �the situation has

> spiralled out of control�, a member of the minicipal

> corporation�s sanitation committee, AP Sanwaria, said,

> �The Supreme Court�s directive does not allow killing of

> canines and the much-publicised dog pound hasn?t been built

> as yet.�

>

> Stressing that the only way to arrest the exploding

> population was to undertake sterilization programmes at a

> regular interval, Sanwaria revealed, �We have floated a

> tender to invite sterilization experts from private agencies

> so that the much-delayed work could begin again. We have

> kept aside a budget amount of Rs 10 lakh for this.� But

> sounding apprehensive, he continued, �Frankly speaking,

> there seem to be very few options at hand. It is a

> long-drawn process as you cannot sterilize more than 10 dogs

> in a day.�

>

> Meanwhile, his concern does not seem baseless as inquiries

> by The Times of India revealed that the MC health

> authorities� sterilization programme that was initiated

> last year, flopped. A source in the department said, �We

> had engaged a number of animal bodies working in the city

> but they could not proceed beyond sterilizing 2,000 dogs�.

>

>

> Taking up the issue of dog pounds, Sanwaria added, �After

> sterilization, the dogs are to be left at their take-away

> site. The upcoming dog pound will have a capacity for only

> around 700 canines and that too, of the ferocious kind.�

> In this respect, MC�s sanitation committee chairman

> Chander Mukhi Sharma said, �We have just been allotted two

> acres in Sector 25.� He assured, �We will try to build

> the pound quickly.�

>

> --

> Thank you for your compassion !

> With best regards,

> Debasis Chakrabarti

> Compassionate Crusaders Trust

> http://www.animalcrusaders.org

>