India is for the Dogs (Continued)
There are several reasons why India has such a large stray dog population. Like most developing countries, India lacks funding for basic animal control services, proper shelters, and sterilization programs. Lack of sanitation services contributes to the problem by providing scavenging dogs with a steady source of food in open garbage dumps.
But the more surprising factors behind the stray dog problem are India’s constitution and legal system. The constitution spells out the responsibility of citizens to show compassion to all living creatures. These values are strongly encouraged by both the Hindu and Buddhist faiths. This ethos was further codified in the 1960 Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act which made mistreating an animal a crime punishable by imprisonment.
I have seen these values in action in Dharamsala where the community treats the stray dogs with remarkable kindness. Shop keepers give the dogs scraps of food and prepare places for them to sleep in the sun, out of the way of traffic. I have never seen anyone mistreat a dog or even yell at one in a harsh voice. All the dogs I see in the streets of Dharamsala appear far healthier and happier than strays I have seen in the US.
This admirable culture of kindness towards animals discourages the practice of euthanasia even in cases where some believe it is the more humane solution for both the dogs and humans. The Indian Supreme Court recently ruled that stray dogs have a right to life, severely restricting local efforts to control stray populations through euthanasia.
The case originated in the south Indian state of Kerala where the stray dog and human populations are not coexisting as harmoniously as they do in Dharamsala. Cases of dog bites and rabies have been on the rise in the area and locals want something done.
But as a developing country, India relies on volunteers and Non-Governmental Organizations for most of its animal control services. In Dharamsala local volunteers care for injured or sick strays, but they don’t have the resources needed to properly manage the entire stray population or to respond to a serious problem such as a rabies outbreak.
The central government advised local governments to develop sterilization programs to help control the stray dog population but without funding neither local governments or NGOs can afford such schemes on an effective scale.
It seems that the stray dogs of India will continue to live side by side with the human community, for better or worse, for some time to come. Meanwhile, I will continue to give my host family’s dog, Nancy, plenty of belly rubs as long as I am here.
If you are interested in learning about how you could help Indian street dogs this organization is doing great work across the country: https://helpanimalsindia.org/news/library/saving-indias-street-dogs-from-abc-to-arv