After fatal Chakan dog attack: Animal activists urge nuanced understanding, better sterilisation, restraint

The activists say that there are usually three reasons for a dog attack. “They are hungry, sick or traumatised,” says Anwar Abbas Electricwala, an activist and a rescuer for more than 45 years. He adds that dogs can “sense your energy”. “If you have a latent fear or hatred of dogs, they can read you. Then, there are certain ailments and neurological issues because of which a perfectly normal pet will start biting,” says Electricwala. Moreover, if one dog attacks, the entire pack will join.

The activists say that in certain areas, the PMC or PCMC do not prioritise sterilising dogs or vaccinating the dogs. “They are not even feeding the dogs. The feeding is done by feeders. In areas where there are no feeders, it becomes the responsibility of the community to come and feed the dogs to keep themselves safe,” says Abuhaideri.

According to the activists, picking up dogs is not a solution. “New feral dogs will take their place. There have been cases where there were friendly dogs, who were picked up, and feral dogs moved into the vacuum,” she adds. Electricwala says that he is in the middle of a “fight against a local corporator to bring 15 dogs from Sarasbaug back from the animal birth control (ABC) shelter where they have been placed”. In many cases, the administration removes dogs from one locality and releases them far away, usually on the city’s outskirts. “Removed from their territory, the dogs become scared and defensive in the new place. They are under attack from local dogs as well as humans. The dogs begin to look upon everyone as an enemy,” says Electricwala.

The activists are going to keep feeding, rescuing and sterilising dogs as before. “I am feeling sad for the victim; she became a victim for no reason,” says Sanket Jangam, who looks after dogs in Katraj. Ever since last year when the Supreme Court of India initiated suo moto proceedings regarding the growing number of attacks by stray dogs in the National Capital Region and ordered that the animals be captured and relocated in shelters – an order that was later modified to allow sterilised and vaccinated dogs to released back to their neighbourhoods if they were not rabid or aggressive – it has been difficult for animal lovers.

“The SC’s suo moto cognisance has brought a lot of heat in our lives and the situation is worsening with such attacks. But, well-fed dogs show less or absolutely no aggression. Even the PMC and PCMC agree stray dogs tend to be aggressive when not fed appropriately and advise on feeding them,” says Jangam. He started active feeding one-and-a-half years ago. “I have rescued two indies who live with me and have four indies in our society premise that I take care of,” he says.

Animal lovers like them not only feed dogs but also rescue them, take them for sterilisation at their own expense and carry on vaccination drives for community dogs. Mrunaal Jadhav says that she goes out to feed at night and the feeding spots are away from people. “If aggressive people approach us, we try to educate them,” she says. Jadhav adds that people keep wanting to “resolve the issue with stray dogs, especially after such incidents of attack, which are few and far between”.

According to Electricwala, it would cost little to bring about harmony between strays and humans. “You need four animal hospitals in Pune with a proper staff of about 30 in each, along with a small shelter attached to each where you care for permanently disabled animals. The government also needs to support feeders who are doing an amazing job,” he says. He adds that organisations that run ABC programmes are short of funds. “If ABC programmes are run successfully, you would not have a single problem in the country,” he says.