THE UNFAITHFUL BOW-WOW STREET DOG MENACE- TIME FOR A BBMP DOG POLICY?

  

Firoz.T.Totanawala

The Bangalore Metro Reporter

1st August 2011 issue-

                               THE UNFAITHFUL BOW-WOW

      STREET DOG MENACE- TIME FOR A BBMP DOG POLICY?

Dog menace has become a common news feature causing a wide spread concern and debate in our society. However, the steam loses as time passes by and until the dogs target the next victim.

BBMP spends crores though nobody actually knows how much is spent for controlling the menace. Like earlier, BBMP cannot kill the street dogs. The animal lovers’ organizations have tightened the noose to safeguard the dogs and the canines continue to openly victimize innocent human beings from time to time. In fact, the crisis is such that now there is an urgent need for Human Lovers’ organization to safeguard the human beings from this fatal dog menace.  

Media reports few days back had stated that Bangalore’s dog population is around 5 lakhs. As per the BBMP Commissioner Siddaiah’s own statement, the BBMP sterilised 1.85 lakhs dogs last year, and this year, BBMP will be sterlising 3 lakh dogs! Even in the past, the BBMP had claimed to have sterilized more than 3 lakh dogs! However, day by day, the dog menace is on the rise as BBMP and animal lovers’ organizations play the blame game.

It seems that animal loving NGOs have taken the monopoly over the dog issue. They indulge in strong protests whenever the BBMP or the Government tries to eradicate the dog menace. They cry from their rooftops that such acts are inhuman. And interestingly these people are hardly bothered about slaughtering of goats, sheep, chickens, buffaloes, cows and other animals for preparing non vegetarian food. For them dogs, are more important than other animals and even humans. Of course, there are some really genuine animal lovers but their numbers are less than the publicity centered animal loving people and NGOs.

What more, many animal loving NGOs also have been sterilising the dogs for the last few years and dutifully the BBMP has paid them in crores. Two years back there was a big scam over the same and few NGOs became red in their faces. The BBMP officials made tall claims of blacklisting such NGOs, but some time later, the business continued as usual.

Apparently, the BBMP has no specific policy on dogs. Earlier it used to operate Dog catching vans and kill the street dogs in a cruel manner. Late instead of clubbing the dogs to death, poisonous injections came in use. Then later, it started sterilising the dogs to prevent re-production of more dogs. But, what about the dogs that are affected with rabies?

It is a well known fact that dog menace increases during June to August. The sterilization if actually done and even done properly can only control the dog population but not the spread of rabies due to dog bites.  Here again, the street dogs have to be administered anti rabies dose and that means some more crores and some more cases of frauds. The corruption will definitely eat away major portion of anti rabies doses. No dog will vouch for the administration of Anti Rabies injections to it. Moreover there is no way one can verify the number of Anti Rabies doses given to dogs.

If one witnesses the dog bite victims who get rabies and die a violent death slowly, one would get shock and sick. Even to this day, the scientists have not found any medicine or vaccine to prevent rabies. Of course, there are painful injections given to dog bite victims, but this is effective only if the victim gets the treatment in time.

BBMP also spends lakhs of rupees towards purchase of the medicines for dog bites and one can be sure of the major portion of these injections finding their way to the private medical stores. Even in BBMP hospitals and Health Centers, these injections are given by charging a fee by the doctors.

Talking about the numbers, how can one say that there are three lakhs dogs in BBMP areas? Was there a dog census? By any stretch of imagination, one can not comprehend 3 lakhs dogs for about 80 lakhs human population of Bangalore, implying a dog per 28 persons. Interestingly, BBMP Commissioner also changed his statement of sterilising 3 lakh dogs this year! In a meeting held with the Government, he brought the figure down to one lakh. The figures go on changing and as such there are no precise figures over the number of dogs in city. And this is the root cause for all the mess.

Whatsoever, the BBMP may assume or presume any number of dogs in city. But what it is lacking is clear cut policy about eradicating the dog menace which is resulting in deaths and serious injuries to hundreds of people especially children. One can not wish away the dog menace under the pretext of protest from Animal lovers. In the recently held top level meeting chaired by Minister Suresh Kumar, most of the MLAs in city have asked the animal lovers and the establishments to show some humanitarian considerations towards the citizens of Bangalore. It is high time that the BBMP formulate a definite policy to end this fatal dog menace!