Panchkula: Two women have solution for stray dog menace, become friendly, get them sterilised

Last month, a rabid dog died after going on a biting spree in Sector 7, attacking as many as seven persons. Soon after, another stray dog attacked five persons in the same sector. There has been a public outcry over stray dogs in Panchkula and demands for radical steps to get rid of them. But undeterred by the anti-stray atmosphere, these two young women are on an opposite mission.

They feed them, and once the dogs become friendly with them, they take them to the pet clinic to get them sterilised. Both have also adopted a few strays.

“Nobody wants to take care of these dogs and people do not want anyone else to do it,” says Narvita.

“Some say we were asked by a priest to do this, while others just rush to castigate us openly. ‘Apne ghar ke bahar khilao inhe! Humari gali ke saamne mat karo!’ The problem is that everybody wants to just get rid of these dogs, without even thinking how,” says Narvita, whose house in Sector 7 is home to five stray dogs, which she adopted from the streets.

The youngest one, a Pomerian sitting next to her, was adopted a year ago, after she found him on the street with a leash around its neck. “It is cruel to abandon dogs when they fall ill. We complained to the police, got pamphlets published so that we could trace its owner, but we could not,” she says. The dog was suffering from a disease and the family got it treated and adopted it, just like they adopted Brownie, Hero, Roza and Chhoti (female), all stray dogs.

From their treatment to well-being, the two women do it all. No matter how daunting it may seem, the two have together managed to get as many as 30 stray dogs sterilised in the last three years. “We get friendly with these dogs by feeding them, then they do not make any fuss in coming along,” Narvita smiles. “All we need is one worker from the dog catching team to assist us.”

Facing the park, the bungalow in Sector 7 stands out in the lane, with stray dogs calmly sleeping on the pavement. It is 8.30 pm and the dogs come bouncing to check out visitors. While Chhoti sits smugly on the couch, Hero is on the terrace while others are inside the house.

With pride, both Narvita and Jaspreet say they know all the stray dogs in the sector and lanes where they live.

Asked about the mounting concerns of residents regarding the increasing numbers of stray dogs, Narvita says, “By sterilisation, we are going against the nature. But in a town where people are not bothered about stray dogs, it is the best solution. We just need to be humane and careful. A sterilised dog has to be left at the same place, from where it was picked up. But workers leave them anywhere.”

This is important, because it helps to keep track of sterlised and unsterlised dogs in a sector, she says. And until all strays are sterlised, there will always be more. “Even if one female dog is left unsterilised, the cycle will begin again,” she says.