To keel or not to keel: Kaalu, the stray dog

I am seeing a lot of posts on the stray dog menace in India, and almost everyone is clear about what they want: Kill all the dogs. Maybe life was a little more complex than that?

I do acknowledge the menace. I am not downplaying it in any way. Innocent people getting caught in cross fire of bad policy, bad governance and nature is always heartbreaking.

Coming back to the issue, there is always a kind way to do things and not the kind way to do things. Dogs are animals, I don’t know if there has been a study on if they feel pleasure after biting humans. If they do then the issue is lot worse than we have made it to be.

Stray dog attacks in India have resulted in numerous fatalities over the years, with incidents reported across various states. However, comprehensive national statistics on deaths directly attributed to stray dog attacks are limited. Available data indicates that in 2023 alone, over 3 million cases of stray dog bites were reported, resulting in 286 fatalities.

Additionally, rabies, often transmitted through dog bites, remains a significant public health concern in India. The World Health Organization reports that India accounts for 36% of the world's rabies deaths, with an estimated 18,000 to 20,000 fatalities annually. Many of these cases are linked to dog bites, underscoring the severity of the issue.

These figures highlight the pressing need for effective stray dog population management, widespread vaccination campaigns, and public education to mitigate the risks associated with stray dog attacks and rabies transmission.

The menace is real. So a solution is needed, but on the local level.

The dogs won’t bite the person who gives them food, so that person is safe.

Now what can be a solution? Well, eliminating all stray dogs is an efficient solution. There are over 70 million stray dogs in India. Killing living beings is “dirty work“, who is going to do that? The government can announce a scheme and award some money to people who kill stray dogs, but then people will just game the system. Remember the cobra effect debacle by the britishers? here is the link if you want a refresher.

Also if you opt for a kill policy then where will the remains of the 70 million dogs go? If you burn them then that will effect the environment, if you bury them then that land will become useless, as no one will really want to live on land where so many dead beings are buried.

So what is the kind way of doing things?

Sterilisation and vaccination seems to be a kind enough way. But there are 70 million dogs, does the govt has money to pour into this issue? One way can be to allow private players to help the citizens. Citizens pay a fee and someone does the sterilisation and vaccination of the dogs in that area. But again, is it the citizen’s responsibility or the government’s?

So whose gonna save us?

Well, nobody knows and until some politician gets bitten we won’t ever know.

fin.