Soaring stray dog population: Govt’s failure to implement ABC scheme at core

Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Jan 10: The unchecked rise in the stray dog population in the state is a direct consequence of the government's failure to implement the Animal Birth Control (ABC) scheme. This surge is causing serious challenges for residents, particularly children and the elderly, both in urban and rural areas.

To address this growing issue, committees have been established at the district and village levels, mirroring the state-level animal control monitoring and implementation committee. A high court order from the Dharwad bench emphasized the urgency of mitigating the menace posed by stray dogs.

The responsibility for implementing the stray dog sterilization programme rests with the urban development, rural development, and panchayat raj, along with the animal husbandry and veterinary services departments. Collaborating with local animal welfare organizations, these departments play a crucial role in executing the sterilization surgeries recommended by the high court.

As per the 20th census of 2019, the state is grappling with a staggering total of 12,88,864 pet dogs and 11,41,173 stray dogs. Despite ongoing sterilization efforts in 12 paediatric surgery centers, including the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, the dog population continues to rise. This surge is reflected not only in the statistics of surgeries conducted annually but also in the alarming increase in reported dog bites.

One notable contrast with foreign countries is the lack of a comprehensive pet registration system and mandatory neutering surgeries for dogs kept as pets in our region. This absence contributes to the rising numbers of stray dogs, leading to incidents such as dropping unwanted puppies in urban areas, a practice that was curbed 25 years ago with harsh measures like cyanide injections at the panchayat level.

Stray dogs are becoming a ubiquitous presence near bus and railway stations, hostels, temples, hospitals, offices, and public halls, searching for food and occasionally posing risks to the public. Post-Covid, instances of people providing more food and subsequent aggressive behaviour from hungry dogs have resulted in accidents, particularly involving two-wheelers.

In 2023, the central government issued guidelines for urban and rural local bodies to control stray dog breeding within their jurisdictions. The protocol includes proper dog-catching procedures, adherence to rabies control measures, and the responsibility of designated doctors in animal welfare organizations to carry out fertility control surgeries and administer rabies control injections. Unfortunately, in some districts, the lack of such institutions poses a significant challenge.

In response to a high court ruling, local bodies are now obligated to compensate victims in case of dog bites. The state government has allocated Rs 5 lac for those who lost their lives due to dog bites and Rs 5,000 for those injured. The current discourse emphasizes the urgency of prioritizing animal birth control to tackle this growing problem.

Maharashtra leads the nation in reported dog bite cases, with 4.35 lakh cases (1,192 per day) in 2023. Following closely are Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Karnataka. Even during the Covid period, Karnataka witnessed a significant increase, registering 2,08,656 cases in 2023, compared to 1,59,247 in 2021 and 1,62,624 in 2022. Bengaluru alone reported 19,770 dog bite cases in 2023, averaging 60 cases per day.

Despite efforts to rescue and sterilize dogs in the state, the numbers tell a challenging story. In 2020-21, 2,58,945 dogs were rescued, followed by 1,30,047 in 2021-22, 1,19,380 in 2022-23, and a noteworthy decrease to 72,556 in 2023-24.