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= Stray Dogs Problem in India = India has the largest number of strays in the world, with over 35 million. At almost 21,000, India also accounts for more than a third of all rabies-related deaths. India could be fighting a lost battle against rabies, because with only 15% of all stray dogs vaccinated, a rabies-free South Asia by 2020, as is the WHO’s dream, looks far from reach.

Why did the stray dog issue in Kerala, India come to the spotlight recently?
The state has long been struggling with the issue of stray dogs. As per information available, Kerala’s streets are home to an estimated 280,000 strays and their population is growing by about 20 per cent every year. Additionally, another 900,000 dogs are kept as pets in Kerala. This year till date, around 1,00,000 people have suffered stray dog bites and 21 rabies deaths have been reported.

Of the 21 deaths, authorities said five had received anti-rabies vaccines. The matter earned the spotlight in national and international media when a 12-year-old girl, identified as Abhirami, from Perunadu in Pathanamthitta district died on 5 September of rabies after suffering the dog bite in August. Her death sparked demands for stringent measures against stray dogs.

Another incident on 5 September also put the focus of strays in the state; eight people were attacked by a stray dog in Attingal in Thiruvananthapuram district.

There are numerous instances of strays attacking people and biting them. On 11 September, a 12-year-old boy, Nooras, was riding his bicycle in front of his house in Kozhikode district’s Arakkinaru when a street dog suddenly jumped up on him and began biting him, before his family pulled him to safety.

Manorama Online reported that on 7 September, 26 people were bitten by stray dogs across the state. Of them, several were children.

Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan  said, “It’s a harrowing situation in Kerala, with more than two dozen people—mostly women and children — being bitten by stray dogs every day. The state government is doing nothing to provide quality healthcare for them.”

Others Accidents caused by stray dogs
These are just some of the accidents caused due to stray dogs.

A woman was attacked by a stray dog in Palakkad city limits Sulthana, of Manalancheri, Kerala was bitten by the dog while she was on her way back from work. She suffered injuries on the face, hand, and leg. The incident happened near Sultana's house. It is suspected the dog that bit Sulthana was the same one that attacked an eight-year-old in Mepparambu.

A 25-year-old man succumbed to his head injuries in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala after a road accident involving a stray dog. The man, identified as Ajin A S, was on a bike when the dog jumped across a vehicle which was moving in front of his bike He eventually died at a private hospital on 14th September, 2022.

On 5th October, 2022, VK Raju, a man from Elavumthitta, Kerala succumbed to his injuries suffered in an accident involving a stray dog last month. The person had been running a shop and met with an accident on September 7. A stray dog came across his bike when he was returning from his shop during the night. He lost his control and that resulted in the accident. He was under treatment for 28 days until his unfortunate death.

The first victim of a road accident involving stray dog in India was a member of a royal family.

The first casualty due to stray dogs jumping in front of motor vehicles in the state occurred on 22 September, 1914. Travancore royal family member, Kerala Kalidasan Kerala Varma Valiya Koyithampuran lost his life in that tragic incident. This mishap is considered the first road accident in India itself.

What has transpired till now in the matter that is being heard in the Supreme Court of India?
Case Title: Animal Welfare Board of India Vs People for Elimination of Stray Troubles and Ors. - CA No. 5988/2019

Bench: Hon’ble Justice Mr. Sanjiv Khanna and Hon’ble Justice Jitendra Kumar Maheshwari

Last Heard on: 12th October, 2022

Next listed on: February, 2023

The Bench clarified that an earlier order of the Supreme Court on November 18, 2015 did not intend for all proceedings before High Courts to come to a standstill, in cases pertaining to stray dogs. The Court further pointed out that there would be individual cases relating to applicability and enforcement of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 1960, Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules as well as state laws which may require detailed hearing of parties and location-specific orders. While passing the order, the Supreme Court reminded that High Courts would have to bear in mind the previous orders and precedents set by the Apex Court.

These directions were passed in batch of appeals passed by the Animal Welfare Board of India challenging the orders passed by different High Courts in relation to stray dogs issues. The Animal Welfare Board was represented by Advocate Manisha Karia.

During the hearing, it was submitted on behalf of a Residential Complex in Navi Mumbai that 10-15 dog-bite cases took place in the last one year, within its premises. Senior Advocate C U Singh, opposing this, told that dog-feeding was allowed only in designated areas and that fines were imposed on those persons violating the rule. He requested that the matter be heard by the High Court and not the Apex Court. Senior Advocate K.K. Venugopal, appearing for Gauri Maulekhi, trustee for People for Animal Welfare and Ahinsa Trust, submitted that the proceedings before the Bombay High Court had come to a standstill in the light of the Supreme Court considering the issue.

The bench said "We don't want to deal with specific individual cases. We will issue only general guidelines. But cases whether feeding should be permitted, whether there is problem in that particular complex. These are area-specific, occasion-specific". Further, the Bench added, "You may have a genuine concern. If I were in your place, if my children have gone out to play, I would be scared. I will not like to go to a complex like this, where dog- bites are reported. We will permit you to go to the High Court. If any adverse order passed, you can come here".

The Court however clarified that it will adjudicate the larger legal issue relating to the repugnancy between the State rules and Central rules in relation to stray dog control. The bench added "In Kerala, the problem seems to be quite peculiar. All of us are dog lovers but if there's a problem, it has to be dealt with. The Court further directed the Animal Welfare Board (Board) to file an affidavit on statistics of dog bites during the last 7 years in different states and prominent cities and to indicate the steps taken to curb it.

It further asked the Board to indicate whether they would like Supreme court to lay down certain quidelines on the issue. The Board has also been asked state whether local authorities have complied and implemented the orders dated November 18, 2015 and March 9, 2016. The Bench also granted liberty to the parties to file a short synopsis with regard to enforcement of provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 1960 and applicable rules.

The Bench also allowed the parties to file objections of the report submitted by the Justice Sir Jagan Commission regarding stray dog menace in Kerala. The committee report stated that stray dog population can'be reduced by ABC measures alone and sought for alternate methods. The bench was hearing a batch of appeals filed by the Animal Welfare Board of India and other parties against a 2015 judgment of the Kerala High Court which permitted capturing and destruction of stray dogs.

Senior Advocate Venugopal pointed out that uncontrolled garbage which have been neglected by municipal bodies was one of the primary reasons for multiplication of dogs and mice etc. "If they are sterilised, this issue would not have occurred", the Bench was told. Senior Advocate Percival Billimoria pointed out that people indulging in animal cruelty should be punished. The Bench did not have an opposing view. "Anyone dealing with animal cruelty, they have to be dealt with in accordance with law. We have not said otherwise.." the bench orally said.

The matters have bene adjourned to February, 2023.

How do countries with top ratings in APL (Animal Protection Index), deal with stray dogs issues?
According to the Global Animal Protection Index 2020, which was produced by the international animal welfare charity World Animal Protection, India is among the better-performing nations.

The Animal Protection Index (API) seeks to highlight where nations excel and where they fall short in terms of animal welfare policy and legislation so that they can take action to strengthen their performance. According to their policies and laws, the index rates nations from A (having the best score) to G (having the lowest score).

A troubling lack of effective animal welfare rules was readily evident when World Animal Protection evaluated the policies and legislation pertaining to animal care in 50 different countries. It is advocating for immediate advancements.

It is encouraging that Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom are all rated B, which is good. In order for more nations to emulate their lead and lower the risk to public health, World Animal Protection is urging all governments to swiftly raise their standards for animal welfare.

With nations like New Zealand, Mexico, France, and Spain, India too has earned a C rating on the index. It is ranked higher than a large number of advanced countries, including the USA, China, Canada, and Australia.

However, there is still potential for improvement in a number of areas connected to animal welfare, such as stray animal rights. We can gain insight from the strategies used by the nations with the highest ratings in the index as to how they handle issues on stray animals.

Austria
Austria is considered one of the best countries for animals all over the world. The Government of Austria should be recognised for defining animals as ‘fellow creatures’ to humans in its main piece of animal welfare legislation, the Animal Welfare Act 2004, as well as in the Austrian Constitution. The Austrian Animal Welfare Act 2004 suggests that the protection and well being of animals should be held to a value that is equal to humankind.

The Government of Austria has enacted extensive anti-cruelty legislation, which prohibits mistreating animals, as well as a failure to act in case of animal abuse. The anti-cruelty law, one of Europe’s harshest, bans pet owners from cropping their dogs’ ears or tails, forces farmers to uncage their chickens, and ensures that puppies and kittens no longer swelter in pet shop windows.Violators are subjected to fines of $2,420, and in cases of extreme cruelty they could be fined up to $18,160 and have their animals seized by the authorities.

Denmark
In 2014, the Danish Parliament, enacted a new dog law. As per the law it is now illegal to shoot stray dogs. However, the dog-owner risks a fine of up to DKK 2,000 (about 270 Euros) if his or her dog repeatedly noses around on other people’s property. Dog-owners have a responsibility for their dogs and must ensure that the dogs do not stray and make people feel afraid.

The new dog law also implied changes about savaging. Formerly it was the job of the police to decide whether a dog had savaged a person or another animal and had to be killed for that reason. Now, dog-owners will have the right to an assessment by a dog expert.

The Netherlands
There are around 200 million stray dogs worldwide, according to the World Health Organisation. Impressively, the Netherlands is not part of this statistic. It has become the first country in the world without any stray dogs.

The Dutch achieved it through the CNVR programme (Collect, Neuter, Vaccinate, and Return), a nationwide, government-funded sterilisation programme. The World Animal Protection Agency believes it’s the most effective way to combat a stray dog population.

Further, the Netherlands set up an animal police force monitoring crimes against animals. Moreover, the force also rescues animals in trouble. Additionally, many municipalities spike taxes for store-bought dogs to incentivise people to adopt homeless dogs from shelters instead.

Sweden
On 1 April, 2019 the new Animal Welfare Law came into force in Sweden. Due to the efforts of the Swedish animal protection organisations, it now illegal to abandon animals in Sweden without legal consequences.

Further Chapter III contains Supplementary Measures for Stray Animals. Article 12 mandates that the capture of stray animals must be done with the least amount of suffering possible. Once captured, animals may be kept or killed ‘in accordance with the principles laid down in this Convention’. In Swedish legislation, the general anti-cruelty provision in Section 13 of Chapter 16 of the Penal Code applies to this category of animals.

There are detailed regulations on the control of dogs and cats, which are decided by the Board of Agriculture. Namely, Section 1 of these Regulations on the supervision of dogs and cats outlines that dogs and cats may be cared for in such a manner that is necessary in view of their nature, and other circumstances, to prevent them from causing injury or significant inconvenience. Section 2 mandates the registration of dogs. Section 15 warns that anyone who has previously failed to properly care for a dog may be prohibited from getting another dog.

A Regulation specifies that a cat which can be assumed to be abandoned or lost may be killed by someone with a hunting permit. In densely populated areas, permission is required from the Police Authority. There is a specific ban on abandoning animals in the Animal Welfare Act.

Switzerland
Switzerland became the first country with a provision to protect animals’ dignity. Switzerland is a leader in improving the living and working conditions of animals.

Switzerland is the only European country requiring all dogs to be microchipped and registered in a central database. This accountability for ownership is echoed in the rules governing the sale of canines. This is done to curb the illegal trade in dogs, the name and full address of the seller and the country of origin and breeding details of the animal must be provided in every internet advertisement or classified ad for the sale of dogs.

Animal shelters are required to obtain registration from the Canton authorities and must adhere to the minimum standards for housing set in the Annex of the Animal Welfare Ordinance (2020). Police, game wardens and animal welfare organisations are allowed to capture stray animals, however a study suggests that animal welfare organisations most often take on this role. The study also suggests that for dog populations, Switzerland has an eighty to hundred per cent return rate to owners.

The United Kingdom
Under Section 149 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, applicable to the UK, local councils are required to treat all unaccompanied dogs on public land as strays, regardless of whether they are wearing a collar or have been microchipped. The council must seize such dogs, and if they cannot be returned immediately to their owner, dogs must be taken to the council stray pounds where they are held for a mandatory period of seven days. After the 7-day period, the dog legally becomes the property of the kennels and the kennels can either rehome the dog to a new owner, keep the dog at the kennels or, following veterinary advice, euthanise the dog.

Why should stray dogs be removed from the streets?
Unfortunate as it is, most of the Indian streets are riled with blatant apathy towards animal lives. The callousness in civic societies is far worse – where a handful of humans who care for stray animals is often met with unbelievable ridicule and resistance. With strays being in millions, adoption can hardly be a solution. On the other hand, left out on the streets, without specific owners, dogs can turn wild roaming around in packs. Preventing the spread of rabies and innumerable zoonotic diseases is also a challenge when they are loose.

Haphazard urban planning and human overpopulation have led to a correspondingly huge population of street dogs in most Indian cities. They cause the following problems:


 * Rabies–a fatal disease which can be transmitted to humans. Although all warm-blooded animals can get and transmit rabies, dogs are the most common carrier. India has the highest number of human rabies deaths in the world (estimated at 35,000 every year).
 * Dog bites-Most occur when dogs are trying to mate and fighting among themselves–pedestrians and other humans in the vicinity often get bitten accidentally. Females with pups to protect may also be aggressive and bite people who approach their litter.

The stray dogs too, have a right to live with dignity and a right to shelter and food. They should not have to feed on garbage food, roam on the streets, and endure the extremities of summer, monsoon and winter season.

The another reason for removing stray dogs from the roads and streets is to decrease the number of roads accidents. A recent report on road crashes published by a general insurance company has revealed that stray animals are the second biggest reason for accidents. Nearly 58% of accidents, caused by animals, involved dogs. Often in such accidents, the dogs succumbed to his injuries. From 2011 till July 2019, as many as 11,915 stray animals including dogs, cat, cattle and goat were injured in road accidents in different parts of the city, data prepared by Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) veterinary department has revealed. According to the department, 767 dogs, 160 cats and 61 cattle were brought to its hospital-cum-animal-shelter from April 2019 to July 2019. Most of these animals were accident victims. At least 30% of the animals died either immediately or after a few days. As per the data, the number of accidents involving stray animals has increased by almost 23% in the last six years.

Case study: How did the Netherlands manage to become the first country with no stray dogs?
The World Health Organisation estimates there are around 200 million stray dogs worldwide. However, the Netherlands is not contributing to this statistic as it has become the first country in the world without any stray. The Netherlands was able to minimise the number of stray dogs during the last 200 years.

History of stray dogs in the Netherlands
In the past, having a dog was a sign of social standing in the Netherlands. The wealthy kept dogs as pets or for sporting events, while the lower classes kept mongrels for labour. There was a significant dog population in the Netherlands during the 19th century due to their inherent association with social class. However, a rabies outbreak caused a generalised fear of contamination, which led to many pet owners leaving their sick animals. This caused a change in society's viewpoint on the relationship between humans and dogs, leading to the idea that a dog's health reflected that of its owner.

In an effort to control the number of stray dogs in the Netherlands during this time, the Dutch government also instituted a dog tax, but this had the opposite effect, raising the number of stray animals because many individuals couldn't afford to keep their pets or didn't want to.

In 1864, the first animal protection agency was set up in The Hague. A century later, the animal protection act came into force.

High Citizen’s welfare
Citizens' welfare in member states of European Union other than The Netherlands is below Dutch standards which leads to citizens' rather than animals' welfare being the priority. This is clearly one of the reasons there are fewer stray dogs in The Netherlands than elsewhere in Europe. Obviously rules and regulations influence the prevention of stray dog populations.

Change in  man-dog relationship
Over the years the man-dog relationship has changed. In The Netherlands one can discern a clear shift in the relationship between man and dog. Earlier people considered dogs to be either slave or employee. Now in the 21st century, people view their dog more as a friend and many owners even look on them as their child. This too obviously influences the number of stray dogs. People just do not turn out a child or friend that easily, something much less of a problem when it concerns an underachieving employee.

Cultural factors
Dutch culture definitely plays a role in the reduction of stray animals in The Netherlands. The country is one of few to have a political party in its parliament, whose core purpose is to improve animal welfare. A hallmark of Dutch society is that people think in terms of personal liberties rather than universalism. Observation and empathy for others was a mechanism aimed at survival. The ability to empathise also has an impact on people’s thinking of animals and animal well-being. Animals suffering affects Dutch personally and this empathy causes them to look for solutions. Dutch culture is full of caring, collectiveness, separation of work and private life are highly valued. Consideration, discussion and finding common ground are essential in Dutch business. These are also aspects that make the Dutch want to take care of their (pet) animals and not see them roam the streets.

Higher Quality of life
Without doubt welfare growth plays a large role in this. When living standards are low, family takes precedence over (pet) animals. As GDP per capita increased, so did the interest in animal well-being.

Social factors
One assumption is that birth reduction has influenced the way people think of dogs. Around 1800 families were still very large with many mouths to feed. Fathers and mothers were fully occupied by the worries for their children and having to feed all. Birth control and the pill lead to smaller families in the 1960s. This may have influenced the fact that dogs were more and more regarded as family members or children. If there are fewer children to care for and more time to spend, dogs often take the place of the children.

Involvement of various groups
Over the years various groups, foundations and coalitions have been established that have defended the rights and welfare of animals.


 * Dutch animal protection agency (Dierenbescherming)
 * Dutch dog protection agency (Hondenbescherming)
 * Sophia association (Sophia vereniging)
 * Asylums
 * Dutch political 'party for the animals' (Parti) voor de dieren)
 * Animal ambulance (Dierenambulance)


 * Many associations and animal welfare organisations

All these initiatives, as mentioned here above, have spread the word about taking care of and taking responsibility for animals. It is difficult to say if it was the organisations that came about because the realisation took root animals need proper care, or rather if the organisations were responsible for this notion coming into being.

These groups have in any case contributed largely to the decrease in the number of stray dogs. Through co-operation, giving shelter, educating and protecting the rights of animals a society has been created in which the stray dog of a previous era no longer exists. If somebody encounters a stray, a simple phone call will see to it the animal is accommodated. People’s mentality has changed over the years and animals are regarded as living creatures who can feel and suffer. It is therefore very important to teach young children to interact responsibly and respectfully with all animals with which live together, after all; what is learned in the cradle is carried to the tomb. Immigrants coming from other cultures could be taught the same lesson.

So How Did The Netherlands Do It?

 * The government took on the issue with full force.
 * Many cities imposed massive taxes on store-bought dogs. Naturally, this drove many people to adopt dogs from shelters instead, freeing up space for strays to be taken in.
 * They also started a program called Collect, Neuter, Vaccinate and Return, or CNVR for short. This is a nationwide program funded by the government that provides neuters, spays, and vaccines for strays.
 * The government also created a police force just for animals. The officers on the force respond to crimes against animals and assist in animal rescue.
 * There is also the Party for the Animals which focuses on animal rights and welfare.

What is CNVR?
Collect Neuter Vaccinate and Return, or CNVR, refers to the process of gathering stray dogs and dogs without owners, sterilising, immunising, labelling, and returning them to their original locations. Scientific research demonstrates that CNVR is always practical and reduces stray populations.

Studies have shown that the number of dogs will decrease when sterile populations are produced. But only when combined with training and registration does this function. The World Health Organization and the WSPA (World Society for the Protection of Animals) published a report in 1990 stating that a combination of the following is the most efficient approach:


 * Sterilisation (at least 70% of the female dogs).
 * Instruction on safe dog ownership, breeding, and dumping.
 * Registration, which involves identifying the animal and the owner.

A sterile population is what CNVR is intended to produce. Dogs from the neighbourhood who are more fertile will take their spots if they are not returned. Every animal that has been returned thus replaces a "new" unsterilised animal. Because the sterilised animals cannot breed, the population will therefore grow less quickly (or even shrink).

The Carrying Capacity establishes the size of a population. This is the most individuals of a certain species that an area can support. The availability of resources like food, water, and shelter affects this potential. Populations will always increase until they reach this maximum number of members if there are enough resources. For every animal that is removed another will take its place through migration or birth.

If a female dog has, on average, four pups every six months, and with enough food she can produce more than 5,000 descendants within five years. As long as there sufficient resources, within the foreseeable future, every dead animal’s place will be taken by another animal and the population will increase to its maximum Carrying Capacity.

Culling or collecting and placing dogs in asylums, as is frequently done in Eastern Europe, only reduces populations temporarily and is therefore useless as a long-term strategy. Therefore, adopting canines from overseas does not contribute to resolving the issue in the country of origin. There will be new canines to take their places, and they will likewise be forced to survive in appalling conditions on their own. A pack frequently produces new young in order to maintain its strength. More puppies are produced, but due to a shortage of supplies, many frail canines end up passing away in a terrible way from malnutrition or dehydration. Suffering clearly decreases when the number of dogs is consistent but sterile.

CNVR is a tried-and-true technique that can assist every nation in the globe in reducing the number of stray animals in a humane way.

Because in the Netherlands voluntary organisations played a very important role in the reduction of stray dog populations and the reduction of animal suffering, it is advisable to include animal welfare organisations in other countries and give them an active role. In short, with the right combination of CNVR, cooperation among people, commitment of animal welfare organisations and education were responsible to diminish the number of stray dogs in the Netherlands.

How can we protect stray dogs?
Compassion is an innate human tendency. And in the case of animals, we tend to reserve a softer spot in our hearts. Despite this, there has been a longstanding misconception about stray dogs – that they are aggressive and less fun to have around. The truth is, most of these dogs were once pets, or belonged to a long line of domesticated breeds that have been unfortunate enough to undergo stressful situations like abandonment and ill-treatment.

Avid dog lovers know that even stray dogs deserve the same amount of love, care, and attention as their domestic counterparts. So, when there is an opportunity to care and protect for a stray or an abandoned pet, one should can implement these useful tips.


 * Arrange for shelter and regular food.
 * Adopt and support stray dogs.
 * Vaccinate and sterilise/neuter.
 * Raise awareness and learn the laws.
 * Prevent and report cruelty and animal abuse.
 * Rescue a lost or abandoned dog.
 * Organize a Dog Welfare program.
 * Become a sponsor, contribute to your favourite organisations.

We too, can be like the citizens of the Netherlands, that became the first country to have no stray dogs. The Dutch care too much about their dogs and don't let them just roam around on their own. The moment a 'stray' dog is noticed people will try catching it and return it to the owner or bring it to a shelter where they will find a new home for it. Most of the dogs in the shelter are being rehomed within weeks, sometimes even days.

Further, the judiciary, the people and the media too can participate and work in collaboration to solve the stray dogs issue.

Existing laws on Stray animals in India

 * According to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960, stray dogs can be killed in ‘lethal chambers’ by prescribed methods (Section 11(3)(b)) but not by strychnine injection or other unnecessarily cruel manner (Section 11(L)).
 * The Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules 2001, set out rules for local authorities to carry out catching, sterilising and immunising street dogs, whilst pet dogs are the sole responsibility of the owner.


 * The Rules state that stray dogs are to be controlled by the local authority through an Animal Birth Control programme, and that dogs captured for the programme shall be released at the same place or locality from where they were captured. As such, the relocation or killing of stray dogs is illegal.
 * The Rules make provision for trap-neuter-release of street dogs as they state ‘if the Municipal Corporation or the local authority thinks it expedient to control street dog population, it shall be incumbent upon them to sterilise and immunise street dogs with the participation of animal welfare organisations, private individuals and the local authority’ (Section 7(5)). After the dog’s surgical sterilisation, ‘the dogs shall be released at the same place or locality from where they were captured’ (Section 7(5)).
 * The Rules provide that a dog with suspected rabies may not be euthanised but must be kept until ‘natural death’ (Section 10).
 * The Rules also prescribe that ‘incurably ill and mortally wounded dogs’ as diagnosed by a qualified veterinarian shall be euthanised during specified hours in a humane manner by administering appropriate drugs, different for adult dogs and puppies (Section 9). The Rules specify that no dogs shall be euthanised in the presence of another dog (Section 9).

In 2015, the Supreme Court of India has ordered the implementation of the animal birth control programme, requiring all state governments to spay and neuter their stray dogs.

New Law Implemented by the Central Government on 31 July, 2022
To fill these gaps, the Centre released the draft Animal Birth Control Rules, 2022. These rules have detailed guidelines for monitoring these dog welfare programmes at various levels. They also aim to reduce human-animal conflict by specifying how dogs are to be fed and how disputes regarding dog bites must be resolved.

The new rules also focus on resolving animal-human conflicts, such as dog bites and the spread of rabies. This is a major issue in India, with around 17 lakh dog bites a year and 20,000 rabies deaths, the highest in the world. Most of the dead are children.

The new rules say that local authorities may designate a helpline number for dog bites or rabid dogs. Either the organisation responsible for birth control programmes or a veterinary officer deployed by local authorities will be responsible for recording and resolving these complaints. They will have to follow the procedure – of contacting a government hospital, capturing the dog, and so on – as set out in the rules.

In the Courts
In India, a combination of poor governance and unrealistic regulation have turned the streets into a conflict zone between dogs and human beings. It is a conflict that has also extended to human beings taking on one another, at times violently, going to the police and filing cases in courts. Of the disputes the most contentious relate to the feeding of strays in public places.

Several cases have been filed in courts resulting in contested orders and judgments. The Supreme Court has had to step in and bring all these stray-dog related matters under its purview. A writ petition filed as public interest litigation (PIL) by the Humane Foundation for People and Animals (HFPA), which says that keeping stray dogs on the streets is being unkind to them and unfair by people. They should either be adopted or removed to well-managed pounds as is done elsewhere in the world. It also calls for firm regulation of dog ownership and breeding. The PIL filed by the HFPA is especially interesting because it argues that keeping dogs on the street in poor conditions is to ill-treat them as well as endanger people.

In 2009, a PIL was filed in the Supreme Court by the Animal Welfare Board against the People for the Elimination of Stray Troubles. The board went to the Supreme Court again in 2011 and got a Karnataka High Court order overturning the ABC Rules stayed. In 2015 the Supreme Court said high courts were not allowed to hear cases on the issue. And in 2016 when people in Kerala began killing stray dogs after a series of instances of dog bite, the Supreme Court appointed the Sri Jagan Committee to decide compensation.

Pro-Dog, but not Pro-Strays
The PIL by the HFPA has gone deep into the problem of stray dogs from a compassionate position. The HFPA says people who truly love dogs should work towards saving them from a miserable existence on the streets by taking them into pounds, getting them adopted and, when required, euthanising them.

The PIL looks at examples from other countries and suggests that India implement global best practices. Realising that solutions are required, the HFPA offers a detailed “model policy” for dealing with the stray dog problem. The model policy promotes responsible pet ownership and breeding, tracking of animals, better regulation and capacity enhancement in municipalities among other things.

When dogs rule the streets and endanger people
The big question is whether dogs should be on the streets at all. Who should be held responsible when they attack people and sometimes take lives? Biting and mauling can be a traumatic experience even if a dog is neutered and vaccinated against rabies. Better governance is required because the problem can’t be solved by people acting on their own, the situation having spiralled out of control over the years.

With strays being in millions, adoption can hardly be a solution. On the other hand, left out on the streets, without specific owners, dogs can turn wild roaming around in packs. Preventing the spread of rabies and innumerable zoonotic diseases is also a challenge when they are loose.

A dog’s temperament, mood swings and response to different situations are difficult to understand. There are those that are fierce in nature, but even docile dogs bite — and cause serious injuries when they do.

A dog taken into a home and bonding with people can be completely tame. But there are limits to adoption. In fact, dogs in need of shelter currently far outnumber the homes that may want to take them in. Internationally, the norm is that dogs cannot be allowed to roam free and harass people. They are picked up and kept in pounds till an owner shows up. If not claimed or adopted over time, they are euthanised.

House dogs, too, in most countries have to be trained so that they don’t make a nuisance of themselves. Forget biting and attacking people, they are not allowed to bark loudly and incessantly at odd hours. Owners of pets are read out their responsibilities and are required to know how to manage their animals.

Is Article 21 violated?
The basic legal contention of the PIL is that the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules or ABC Rules, are violative of Article 21 of the Constitution that guarantees every citizen the right to a life with dignity, in a safe and healthy environment free from the dangers of disease and infection.

It points out that the Supreme Court itself has held that health, safety, preservation of sanitation and environment fall within the purview of Article 21. But keeping dogs on the streets endangers the health and safety of citizens. The PIL cites the government’s own figures of seven million dog bites and 25,000 rabies cases in a year to highlight the extent of the problem.

The PIL argues that as the only national policy on dealing with stray dogs the ABC Rules are not working. It calls the rules both a “danger and nuisance for citizens”. They require municipal authorities and animal welfare organisations to release dogs back on the streets in the same areas where people had a problem with them biting and being a nuisance.

The PIL also points out that the rules misinterpret World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Far from allowing dogs to be on the street, the WHO calls for responsible pet ownership and going to the source of the stray dog problem. The WHO is for sterilisation with firm regulation and civic management.

The PIL places much emphasis on responsible ownership and breeding because this is  from where the problem begins. Put simply: people bring dogs into their homes and then when they can’t handle them put those dogs out on the streets where they multiply. In the absence of controls, India’s problem with strays has only become more complex.

What changes the Judiciary make in existing laws?

 * The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960 establishes a duty of care onto animal owners and lays out precisely what constitute animal cruelty. It is positive that the abandonment of animals is prohibited, though it is unclear what constitutes a ‘reasonable cause’ for abandonment. The Supreme Court should interpret it as to fill in the lacuna.
 * The Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules pay attention to animal welfare concerns. Notably, the Rules mandate that euthanasia be carried out by a veterinarian professional, only in the interest of the animal and in a humane way. Furthermore, these Rules encourage a responsible trade in pets, as they mandate the record of pet owners. However, seeing the high number of dogs who end up as strays in India, it is possible that the monitoring of puppies sold is not strictly enforced. The Judiciary should come up with strict punishment with fine for culprit of such an offence.
 * Stray animals face a much harsher treatment in India. The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960 effectively authorises the culling of stray animals, as long as the culling is not done through a strychnine injection or other unnecessary cruel manner. However, the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules 2001 make it illegal to cull stray dogs. Culling is highly ineffective at preventing the spread of rabies or other zoonotic diseases. Culling methods should be stopped immediately; instead, the Government of India or the Judiciary should roll out spay-and-neuter and mass vaccination programmes.
 * The Animal Welfare Board of India works to address the welfare problems of street dogs and to control rabies but reports that it is handicapped by outdated government policies and a lack of funds.  There are many NGOs working within the country to address the welfare of street dogs and other animals, among which the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations.  There are human resources and funds for the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), which propagates the 1960 Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and its enforcement. There are also human resources and funds for the implementation of the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules. A committee must be set up by each local authority with a standard membership and who are responsible for planning and management of dog control programmes, in accordance with these rules. Each local authority should also have responsibilities to provide funds for immunisation/sterilisation, shelters, vans, a mobile clinic and staff.
 * The Judiciary should strongly encourage the Government of India to promote humane stray animal population management, which relies on promoting responsible ownership, mass vaccinations and reproduction control programmes.
 * The Judiciary should encourage Government of India to engage with the International Companion Animal Management (ICAM) coalition to learn about and implement their dog population management methodology. The methodology consists of a full cycle of action, addressing the root causes of conflict between roaming dogs and communities. The document is helpful to governments to manage dogs humanely as well as to help communities to live in harmony with dogs.
 * The Judiciary should encourage people to promote responsible pet ownership, including promoting the adoption over the purchase of pets, to help address indiscriminate breeding and reduce pet overpopulation. The 2017 rules mandate that dog breeders, aquaria and fish pet shop owners register themselves within their respective state animal welfare board, which is a positive step towards controlling the pet trade. However, the effectiveness of this measure is limited since it relies on self-reporting. So the Supreme Court should fill in the lacuna.

Mahatma Gandhi’s Advice
The stray dog issue is not a new one. Mahatma Gandhi weighed in on the issue, saying: “The multiplication of dogs is unnecessary. A roving dog without an owner is a danger to society and a swarm of them is a menace to its very existence.”

He described the feeding of stray dogs as “misplaced compassion” by people who didn’t understand himsa in the first place and were therefore imperfect champions of the principle of ahimsa.

“If we want to keep dogs in towns and villages, in a decent manner no dog should be suffered to wander,” said Gandhi. “There should be no stray dogs even as we have no stray cattle.”

Role of people in stray dogs issue
As you walk down any street in India, you wonder: how did we reach a point where there are so many unowned street dogs in our country? Where did they come from and who do they belong to?

The answer to these questions are the misguided compassion of people towards dogs in particular, that has led to situation getting worst due to the overpopulation of dogs.

A Stray Problem: Managing human conflicts with dogs
Compassion for all living creatures has been the philosophy of India – the land of sages. However, this misguided compassion towards street dogs often leads to major human-dog conflict and worsens the problem. Every action of individuals or animal welfare organisations must be carefully thought through, ensuring the welfare of both people and animals.

The most common problems that arise in relation to these dogs revolve around overpopulation and incidents involving barking or chasing behaviours by packs of dogs, dog bites, rabies infection and inhabiting or damage to private property.

Lawfully, the local authority of an area is responsible for the management of all unrestricted dogs roaming on public streets or in public spaces. But because local authorities might be falling short in their ability to do so, individuals and organisations often assume responsibility for the management of these dogs. This is largely driven by compassion and provides help to thousands of street dogs. But there is a thin line that exists between compassion and misguided compassion that needs to be kept in sight by community animal feeders and animal welfare organisations. When overlooked, misguided compassion often leads to major human-dog conflict situations and worsens the problem for the subject that these individuals or organisations have set out to help — the dog.

Problem 1:  The making of the ‘stray’
The popular term for dogs routinely seen on the streets is ‘stray’. The daily life and strife of stray dogs in India depends on their origin and upbringing.

Some stray dogs are ‘originals’, born on the street. Protected by their mother, they learn to eat garbage from dumps or bins or accept scraps of food handed out or thrown out by people. Once they reach adulthood and have settled in areas with adequate food and shelter, they generally become territorial. They learn to drink water from puddles and drains, cut across roads in traffic, take shade and shelter under cars or isolated spaces.

Other strays could be dogs abandoned by pet owners for a host of reasons. If the abandoned dog is a pedigreed one, it might get noticed due to their breed-specific visual appearance and is sometimes admitted in shelters or foster homes. The rest, especially the non-pedigree ones, never get identified; they rarely cope on the streets and very often die after battling with injury or illness.

The third type of stray dog is the nomad, pets whose movement their owners neglect. Some of them spend most of their day out and return home only to eat food and for safe shelter. Some belong to lazy pet owners who let the dogs out to ‘walk themselves’. Such nomads might cause considerable damage during their daily unsupervised strolls. If unsterilised, these nomads move around impregnating females or getting impregnated themselves, directly contributing to the street dog population in the former case.

The maximum resistance is faced by organisations and corporations while picking up the nomads when large-scale sterilisation efforts are ongoing in a city.

Solution: Pet owners should be educated about responsible pet ownership.
There are no large-scale efforts made to educate pet owners about responsible pet ownership, the need to either sterilise their pets or restrict their movement. This not only affects the animals' welfare but also poses a threat to public health and safety. Irrespective of statistics, the maximum resistance is faced by organisations and corporations while picking up the nomads when large-scale sterilisation efforts are ongoing in a city. This is due to the social stigma against sterilisation, and owners disallowing pick up and sterilisation, which results in the dogs remaining unneutered, free-roaming and continuing to contribute to a growing stray dog population.

The animal lovers,  should adopt a Stray. Instead of going for fancy & costly breed of dogs, people should try adopting a stray. They are low maintenance and are as good and dedicated to their family members who adopt them. The best place to adopt a stray is from either a shelter home or just a roadside. They deserve that chance. It would be a noble deed as well. However, after adopting them, the owners should not give up or abandon them ever that would be emotionally traumatic for them, leaving them forlorn and disheartened for the rest of their lives.

Problem 2: Scarring nuisances by stray dogs such as chasing of a two wheeler, late night worker returning home or a person jogging on an early lovely morning.
Dogs find strength in numbers and form a pack. The dogs’ territorial and hunting behaviours start manifesting especially at night when they think that the streets are theirs entirely. Any intruder into their nocturnal domain is now fair game; the late-night worker returning home, a two-wheeler rider turning an unwary corner, the well-prepared early morning jogger, now armed with a stick, or most curiously, the pampered-pet owner taking their dogs out for their morning walk. Such encounters may be an occasional nuisance for some, lifelong scarring for others, or tragically, may even lead to loss of life or limb due to these accidental encounters.

A stray dog has two basic needs for survival: shelter from the elements and food. Most stray dogs survive either through food fed to them or by scavenging on garbage. They take shelter under vehicles or in establishments where there is reduced human footfall. Male dogs might temporarily move long distances for mating but will generally return to their home-turf that they are familiar with and where they can find safe shelter and sufficient food. When stray dogs are fed regularly, either through an animal feeder or constant garbage or food source, they begin to get dependent on that resource. This is also where dogs tend to get territorial. They will instinctively try to drive out any new dog that enters into their territory, in order to reduce competition for resources. Often this results in dog fights and bites. Sometimes, humans get bitten as collateral damage.

This is especially the case when community animal feeders feed dogs inside private housing complexes or at the entrance gate, dogs generally get territorial of this space. A dog that is fed by a human directly may be more confident to approach a human in general in anticipation of food. A fear-driven reaction or an agitated response by humans to a dog coming close may result in harm to the dog or the individual involved.

Children tend to get bitten more than adults as dogs are more confident to take on something their own size. Dogs will also chase unfamiliar individuals or rapidly moving objects, whether it be a morning walker, jogger, a two-wheeler, or even a four-wheeler. Aggression towards ‘unfamiliar’ individuals is a valued trait in a dog defending private property but can infringe on people’s right to free movement and safety in public spaces.

Solution: Responsible compassion
When a dog has access to food, it increases the dogs' fecundity (ability to reproduce successfully). Thus, when a street dog is being fed by a community animal feeder regularly, it is imperative that the dog is caught and sterilised. Generally, dogs that are wary of individuals may accept food being left out for them but never come close to the feeder.

Feeding such dogs regularly over a period of time may help in befriending them, making it easier to catch for sterilisation. However, if a dog remains skittish and uncatchable for an extended period, feeding such an animal may end up exacerbating the street dog population problem because they will continue to reproduce successfully and not be caught.

It is critical that communities put a check on the food resources available to stray dogs, either as food scraps or open garbage access, so as to not attract a larger number of dogs. Community animal feeders must determine and fix the number of dogs they look after to ensure that their actions eventually result in a decline in the population of the area. It is important for them to not feed new dogs that may arrive suddenly (potentially migrating). The new and old dogs could form packs and start exhibiting problem behaviours, causing problems even for the older resident dogs who the local community may have previously accepted peacefully.

The act of compassion does not end at merely feeding a dog and keeping it alive. It extends into putting double the effort in educating the local community and making them aware of actions being taken to ensure both human, and dog health, safety, and welfare, due to the inability of the local authority in fulfilling their legally mandated role.

Problem 3: Rabies Infection
Even if people are familiar with dogs in their neighbourhood, an unvaccinated dog can develop rabies, a deadly disease with no cure, and may bite unprovoked. Rabies can manifest in several ways, and even trained professionals may sometimes fail to recognise these symptoms. It is in rural areas, however, that the problem of dog bites, attacks on humans and other animals, and rabies is most prevalent. Over 90% of India’s reported human rabies cases are from rural areas, where people often do not have quick access to vaccines or may depend on traditional and faith healers that are completely ineffective against this deadly virus. Annual anti-rabies vaccinations or sterilisation campaigns are unheard of.

Solution: All dogs should receive anti-rabies vaccinations
The threat of rabies is a powerful factor that creates fear amongst the general public, and therefore not everyone is comfortable with the idea of having dogs in their vicinity. It is imperative that all dogs receive annual anti-rabies vaccinations to reduce the risk of rabies spread, both to humans, as well as other animals. This should be for all the dogs, including the stray dogs too.

Problem 4: Disturbance to the wildlife in rural areas
In many areas, dogs roam into wilderness zones, where they have become an important concern for wildlife conservation, either through the direct harassment and killing of wildlife, or through the spread of deadly diseases such as canine distemper virus. Packs of free-ranging dogs are also known to kill sheep, goats and other livestock, causing lakhs of rupees in economic losses every year.

Solution:
The solutions that are mooted for stray dogs in cities are unlikely to work in rural areas, and new strategies need to be devised.

Every action of individuals or animal welfare organisations intervening with stray dogs must be carefully thought out, ensuring the welfare of people and animals is best served. Ideally, the end result of these actions should be having a world where no animal suffers on the streets. Dogs are human’s best friends and provide humans with unconditional love and loyalty. Ultimately, the responsibility of ensuring that dogs do not suffer on the streets is with us. They deserve the safety, shelter and love that a home or protected environment can offer. Also, we must remember that we need to be Pro animal welfare and not Pro dogs or Pro Stray dogs.

Role of Media
“The people will believe what the media tells them they believe.”  - George Orwell

In the world of today, media has become as necessary as food and clothing. It has played significant role in strengthening the society. Media is considered as "mirror" of the modern society, in fact, it is the media which shapes our lives. The purpose of the media is to inform people about current ,new affairs and to tell about the latest gossip and fashion. It tells about the people who are geographically divided.

The media in today’s world has changed dramatically over the last 20 years. We now expect, and even demand, to have the latest information at the tips of our fingers wherever we are. The internet, with its incredible connective power, has created opportunity on a vast and growing scale; unlocking potential, revolutionising access to information and transforming people’s lives. The explosion of social media has also changed the way individuals and groups share information and ideas. Facebook and Twitter may have started out as a way of keeping in contact with friends and family. But their outreach is now phenomenal. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, plus a social media overreaction.

Importance of Media
Society is influenced by media in so many ways. It is the media for the masses that helps them to get information about a lot of things and also form opinions and make a judgment regarding various issues. It is the media, which keep people updated and informed about what is happening around them and the world that everyone draws something from it.

Media is responsible for impacting our everyday life. The media plays a very pivotal role in our lives. We constantly educate ourselves by keeping track of the day-to-day news. The news plays a crucial role in updating us with the current affairs and everything going on in the world. The media affects people’s perspective. Too much intervention of media in everything is a matter of concern. Here are the things that the media can do about the dog menace in various parts of the country. For in the words of  Jim Morrison, “Whoever controls the media, controls the mind”.

Responsible Reporting especially when an issue is regarding stray dogs
The media always must always supply the most informative and accurate news in every case because it creates the first impression of an issue among people. If the media provides any wrong information, it might cause chaos and destabilise an equilibrium state. So media plays a vital role to balance every aspect of our society. It plays a fundamental role in consistently informing and updating global citizens on everything happening around the world. Thus, offering genuine and authentic news to people is extremely crucial for the progression of society. Therefore, the most vital aspect of media is to deliver true, fact-based, and proofread news. Only if the news is true can it actually positively build society.

The news should not be swayed by misguided compassion for stray dogs.
The media not reporting on enough and how complicated is this issue. Often it is noticed that when people talk about dogs in particular, the so-called dogs lovers get all emotional and defensive. We need to think practically rather than emotionally. Often at times, a dog is ferocious to human without being provoked. We need to challenge the status quo in her community to transform the relationship between people and dogs. We should not be overly empathetic towards dogs and often at times, with they might be cute and lovely to the animal feeder but cruel to others. Our compassion should is misguided only for the dogs, but care no less about the humans. It has become our habit that unless something doesn't reaches the tipping point, we do not care. Dog biting, chasing of cars, accidents involving dogs have become a normal sight in today's society and hence nobody wants to take any solid action. It's only a matter of time that unless something horrible doesn't happen, the society is going to remain as silent as the grave of the people who suffered due to the menace of the dogs. The media without any kind of emotion should show when a dog has been violent towards a harmless human, often at times it is usually a child as a dog is confident of winning over the child. It’s time to note that the issue is more complicated than only reporting that a person was bitten, or a child was attacked, looking instead into why this problem is proving difficult to solve and what can actually be done might be more helpful and efficient.

The media should be unbiased.
News is one of the pillars of a democratic society, we turned ourselves into gossip columns. Nobody can deny the fact that there are biases within the news media — some of it intentional, some of it unintentional. There’s not much that can be done about the unintentional distortion of facts, but there is something that can be done about the intentional distortion. The media including the social media should realise their importance in the society and the role that they play. The news media houses should  hire people who are honest and don't mix their beliefs and agenda with news reporting. They should have a passion of telling the truth, no matter how hard the so called dog lovers attack them.

Stating the facts
It is imperative to state the true facts. According to news reports, over one lakh cases of stray dog bites have been recorded in Kerala in the last year, and according to Health Minister KK Shailaja, a total of 31,114 people have been bitten by strays in the past three months alone. The media in this way can help in playing an important role by making people know about the facts and not to perceive the issue as irrelevant or dog hating act. It is important to let the people know about the number of accidents, rabies death and injuries caused to human by dogs. It’s only a matter of time that when a unprovoked street dog might chase you and might cause several injuries or death.

Such issues should not die soon.
The stray dog issue has been relevant for a very long time. Often at times, we have heard both the side’s arguments and hence it is the duty of the media to report it to the society. The media should realised their importance and  sense of duty towards the citizens. They should keep on covering the issue extensively until the problem is solved. With the advent of social media, it has become more efficient to not let the issue die soon and make it stay relevant until it is resolved or for longer period of time so that people do not forget it. As citizens of this nation, it has become inherent to not take action unless an issue reaches a tipping point. A public outrage is only visible when water has gone over the dam, such as in Nirbhaya Rape case. We should have a similar if not same kind of outrage towards all the public issues and ask our government to take actions to resolve it. The media would again a play an important role here, by giving the citizens a platform to raise their voice, so that they are heard by others, especially the government.

How can we avoid Euthanasia?
Although in veterinary practice euthanasia in dogs is reasonably common, these “end of life decision” provoke an emotional period and in many instances ethical concerns occurs.

However, when a healthy dog has to be euthanised a moral dilemma occurs in the profession. Dogs may be consider animals as sensitive beings, so they have the capacity to perceive pain and pleasure and are worthy of being under the protection of a law. Killing a healthy animal have legal consequences and may be considered a crime. In contrast euthanasia is legal in specific cases. Euthanasia only treats the symptoms but not the causes of the problems of overpopulation and should be considered as the last resource. Three different scenarios of mass euthanasia of dogs to control its population may be found, dog pounds, animal shelters and municipal campaigns of dog population control. Euthanasia is only a temporal remedy to cure the symptoms rather than causes of the problem of overpopulation, and should be the last resource to use at the end of a long process of evaluation.

Euthanasia may be required in specific scenarios to balance the flow of dog overcrowd, to reduce the risk of zoonotic transmission and damage to the environment and to avoid unnecessary suffering. However, ethical concerns come about when healthy animals have to be killed. Nothing is going to solve the dog overpopulation problem except the capacity of humans to understand the situation and take actions avoiding the born of unwanted puppies and become responsible owners avoiding the relinquishing of their pets.

The primary strategies to reduce euthanasia can be divided into three major categories:


 * 1) Reducing animal intake;
 * 2) increasing animal reclaim rates; and
 * 3) increasing rehoming rates.

Strategy 1: Reducing Animal Intake
There are multiple strategies to reduce the intake of dogs and cats, including:


 * 1) Promoting responsible pet ownership;
 * 2) Returning roaming animals directly to owners;
 * 3) Escalating fines for owners of animals caught repeatedly wandering;
 * 4) Subsidised sterilisation programs to reduce unwanted puppies and kittens;
 * 5) Offering alternatives to surrender; and
 * 6) Slowing intake when at or near capacity of the facility or shelter.

Strategy 2: Increasing Animal Reclaim Rates
The main strategies to increase the reclaim of dogs and cats by their owners were:


 * 1) Increasing animal identification through registration compliance monitoring and subsidised micro-chipping events;
 * 2) Advertising stray animals; and
 * 3) Extended holding and reclaim times for identified animals.

Strategy 3: Increasing Rehoming Rates
The main strategies to increase rehoming rates were


 * 1) Vaccination protocols to reduce illness and increase adoptability of animals, and
 * 2) Encouraging finders of stray animals to adopt.

What should be our focus on animal welfare?
Fundamentally, animal welfare is the protection of the health and well-being of animals. We keep animals for all kinds of reasons – as pets, as a food source, for entertainment and for experimentation. Discussions around animal welfare look at how animals are treated in all of these different circumstances and explore how things could be better for them. In addition to thinking about the animals themselves, animal welfare has been recognised as an important feature in animal production for human use.

Currently, our focus in animal welfare should be Vaccination of stray animals. Vaccination promotes animal welfare by protecting animal health and can also serve to support disease control during outbreaks as a viable alternative to culling, helping to avoid on-farm welfare problems. Benefits go hand-in-hand, as protecting animal health through vaccination leads to improved animal welfare, and maintaining good welfare ensures that animals can respond successfully to vaccination.

Amongst the many challenges facing animal health, preventing animal diseases is a core mission of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). Immunising animals against diseases, when vaccines exist, is the best preventive method to stop their spread. Vaccination has even led to the full eradication of Rinderpest, once a deadly livestock disease. Well aware of the severe health and socio-economic consequences animal diseases can have, the OIE, along with partners and donors, has made a goal to deliver high-quality animal vaccines to countries in need, by setting up vaccine banks.

As the old saying goes, prevention is better than a cure. This could not be truer, as humans have to tackle several animal disease epidemics throughout the world, with devastating impacts, not only on animal health, but also on livelihoods, food security, international trade, and sometimes on human health. Vaccine-preventable diseases such as rabies, peste des petits ruminants (PPR) or foot and mouth disease (FMD) can be contained since we have a tool to stop them: vaccination.

A world full of animal lovers would sigh at vaccinating one’s pet because they can't stress enough, how important and necessary vaccination is. The most deadly diseases can be easily avoided with simply one shot. Making sure the dog gets a 7in1 injection and an Anti-rabies shot can be beneficial for the dog and the owner both.

Promotion of adoption of indie breeds dogs
We should focus on more on Adopt and not shop. We see Indian pariah or street dogs almost everywhere in India, and rightly so. The breed is native to the Indian subcontinent and can survive harsh tropical weather. On the other hand, the inhumane, unethical dog breeding industry produces millions of dogs each year and sold at pet stores for the right price. In India, 62 million dogs are in shelters without a home or family of their own. Prejudices against Indie dogs not only rob them of a loving home they deserve but also feed a cruel breeding industry that is as unethical as it is illegal.

Here are the reasons, why one should adopt an India breed.

Adapting to climate
The Indie dog is a naturally evolved breed and has been shaped by natural selection. They are acclimatised to the tropical weather as they have originated and lived in India for centuries. Thus, they are accustomed to the Indian environment and can survive over other breeds. Indie dogs’ tough physical attributes are a result of natural selection. This not only makes them resilient but also less prone to health conditions as compared to other pedigree dogs. Since they are also native to the Indian climate, most Indie dogs possess a short coat that makes grooming very easy as well.

Extremely healthy
Since Indie dogs have not been bred for thousands of years, they are healthier than other breeds. Their height ranges from 51 to 64cm at the shoulder and weighs between 12 and 20kgs. Problems like hip dysplasia and obesity are extremely rare among these dogs. In fact, they have a strong immune system and can thrive with basic, regular health checkups, nutritious meals, and exercise.

Comparatively low maintenance
Indies are quite low maintenance in nature. They have a short coarse coat, and therefore, shed little to no fur around their living area. Monthly baths and weekly brushing are enough to keep their coat in good condition.

Alert and intelligent
The streets have played a significant role in the evolution of Indie dogs. They are highly alert and quite literally street smart. They adapt well to new places, and based on several people’s experiences, they are easier to train. Although as a territorial breed, they may react with aggression to unknown dogs or people as adults, socialisation helps keep their cool.

Protective & Loyal
Indie dogs are very protective of their pack and families. Not only do Indie dogs make great companion pets, but their ability to sense danger and their fierce protective instincts also make them very good at guarding their homes. Because of their guarding traits and agile structure, Indie dogs have also been known to assist a few special task forces of the Indian police.

Promote Kindness
Breed prejudice is a real thing. The victim of this is both Indie dogs & pedigree dogs who either face cruelty on the streets or unethical breeding practices. India is home to around 80 million homeless cats and dogs. Out of these, 9.1 million are stray cats, 62 million are stray dogs and around 8.8 million are in shelters. A decision to adopt an indie dog and not shop will not only earn a person a loving companion, but it will be a blessing for overcrowded shelters and a step towards positive change in the world of pet parenting

Great Companions
Love knows no breed. Indie dogs can be just as loving and delightful as any other dog breed out there.

Limitations of ABC (Animal Birth Control) methods
India’s dog population management (DPM) program plan is flawed as it places all its bets on controlling the population through animal birth control. Animal birth control, through sterilisations, colloquially referred to as the ABC programme is just one component of a larger DPM programme. The regulation of pet ownership and trade, restricting food availability, and garbage management are just as essential for controlling the population of stray dogs.

Short-term ABC campaigns achieve next to nothing and can even be counterproductive since a pause in sterilisation programmes allows the dog population to bounce back higher than before. Unfortunately, ABC is seen as a silver bullet, even though scientific studies have shown that it takes enormous amounts of time, effort, and money to achieve long-lasting and meaningful (greater than 70%) population reduction. Most cities simply do not have the infrastructure, funds, or political will to continually implement the required measures. Short-term ABC campaigns achieve next to nothing and can even be counterproductive since a pause in sterilisation programmes allows the dog population to bounce back higher than before.

A comprehensive DPM plan is imperative for ensuring both, dog and human welfare, health and safety and managing dog populations. Alongside, it is imperative to understand who the stakeholders are and why stray dogs develop behaviours that cause problems to humans, before forming an opinion on the way forward.

If street dog population control is the issue, wouldn’t it make more sense to kill the dogs or take them away?
Removal or killing of street dogs seems to be the most obvious method of controlling the population, but it has actually proved to be completely useless. This is because even when large numbers of dogs are killed, the conditions that sustain dog populations remain unchanged. Dogs are territorial and each one lives in its own specific area. When they are removed, the following things happen:


 * The food source – garbage – is still available in abundance, so dogs from neighbouring areas enter the vacant territories.
 * Pups born and growing up in the surrounding areas also move in to occupy these vacant niches.
 * The few dogs who escape capture and remain behind attack these newcomers, leading to frequent and prolonged dog-fights.
 * Since they are not sterilised, all the dogs who escape capture continue to mate, leading to more fighting.
 * In the course of fights, dogs often accidentally redirect their aggression towards people passing by, so many humans get bitten.
 * Females with pups become aggressive and often attack pedestrians who come too close to their litter.
 * They breed at a very high rate (two litters of pups a year). It has been estimated that two dogs can multiply to over 300 in three years.

Since dogs who are removed are quickly replaced, the population does not decrease at all. The main factors leading to dog aggression – migration and mating – continue to exist, so the nuisance factor remains. Since removal of dogs actually increases dog-related problems, the effective solution is to sterilise the dogs, vaccinate them against rabies and put them back in their own areas.

What’s the point of putting the dogs back after sterilisation? Doesn’t the problem just continue?
No, when dogs are sterilised and put back in their own area, the population and the problems caused by dogs both reduce. Here’s how:


 * Each dog guards its own territory and does not allow new dogs to enter.
 * Since they are all neutered, they no longer mate or multiply.
 * The main factors leading to dog aggression – migration and mating – are eliminated. So dog-fights reduce dramatically.
 * With the decrease in fighting, bites to humans also decrease.
 * Since females no longer have pups to protect, this source of dog aggression is also eliminated.
 * Over a period of time, as the sterilised dogs die natural deaths, the population is greatly reduced.

One has to remember, there is NO overnight solution to the street dog issue. It is simply not possible to wish all the dogs away. With sterilisation, the population becomes stable, non-breeding and non-rabid and decreases over time. It also becomes largely non-aggressive. On the other hand, when dogs are removed or killed, new dogs keep entering an area and the population is continuously changing, unstable, aggressive, multiplies at a high rate and carries rabies.

Even if the birth rate of dogs comes down over time, but what about dog-bites?
Most dog aggression occurs during mating time, as dogs cross territories to mate and fight with other dogs whose areas they enter. Humans passing by get accidentally bitten in the course of these dog-fights. This problem ends when all the dogs from a neighbourhood are sterilised. As testosterone levels come down after sterilisation, male dogs also become less aggressive. Street dog females are usually aggressive only when they have puppies to protect, so with sterilisation this problem ends as well.

Some people go around feeding street dogs. Doesn’t that increase the street dog problem?
That is not the case. Street dog populations are created and sustained by garbage, not by handouts from kind-hearted people. In fact, people who feed dogs generally get them vaccinated and neutered as well, so the population would actually decrease where dogs are being fed. However, feeding should be done in a responsible manner so that it does not cause any disturbance to the public.

How fatal is Rabies?
Rabies is a deadly virus spread to people from the saliva of infected animals. The rabies virus is usually transmitted through a bite. Rabies is a vaccine-preventable, zoonotic, viral disease. Once clinical symptoms appear, rabies is virtually 100% fatal. In up to 99% of cases, domestic dogs are responsible for rabies virus transmission to humans. Yet, rabies can affect both domestic and wild animals. It is spread to people and animals through bites or scratches, usually via saliva.

Rabies is present on all continents, except Antarctica, with over 95% of human deaths occurring in the Asia and Africa regions. Rabies is one of the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) that predominantly affects poor and vulnerable populations who live in remote rural locations. Approximately 80% of human cases occur in rural areas. Although effective human vaccines and immunoglobulins exist for rabies, they are not readily available or accessible to those in need. Globally, rabies deaths are rarely reported and children between the ages of 5–14 years are frequent victims. Every year, more than 29 million people worldwide receive a post-bite vaccination. This is estimated to prevent hundreds of thousands of rabies deaths annually. Globally, the economic burden of dog-mediated rabies is estimated at US$ 8.6 billion per year.

Human survival after developing rabies is very scary to humanity. Rabies, a zoonotic disease after biting of rabid animals, is the most feared human infections with the highest case fatality rate, approximately 100%. Rabies virus being neurotropic travels retrogradely to diencephalon, hippocampus, and brainstem and causes neuronal dysfunction such as autonomic instability leading to death. Mitochondrial dysfunction of neurons due to oxidative stress leads to such types of abnormalities. The incubation period varies from days to years depending upon various factors such as the location of the entry wound, the severity of the wound, the animal's immune system, and viral load. Clinical rabies manifests mainly in two forms, encephalitic (furious – more common) and paralytic (dumb) rabies. However, death is a signature in both types due to a lack of anti-rabies drugs.

There are only 29 reported cases of rabies survivors worldwide to date; the last case was reported in India in 2017. The major reason for survival was the highest level of critical care support. This has to reach to the community since it is taken in granting that rabies means death. Hence rarely treatment is tried to make survive.

Case Report
A case of a 58-year-old woman from Uttar Pradesh (north India), who presented with 5-days of fever and 1-day of altered sensorium associated with agitation, hydrophobia, and bedwetting after 20 days of WHO category 3 bite in the face by a rabid dog. She had taken three doses of anti-rabies vaccinations. Laboratory investigation showed a rising titer of virus-neutralizing antibodies in both serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The doctors treated the patient according to the modified Milwaukee protocol. The patient remained to survive and had a recovery trend during hospital stays of 15 days. It is a known fact that rabies has approximately 100% mortality rate but by using the aggressive treatment approach (like Milwaukee protocol), the patient may survive.

Prevention
Here are the various ways to prevent rabies virus, as “Prevention is better than cure”.

Eliminating rabies in dogs
Rabies is a vaccine-preventable disease. Vaccinating dogs is the most cost-effective strategy for preventing rabies in people. Dog vaccination reduces deaths attributable to dog-mediated rabies and the need for PEP as a part of dog bite patient care.

Awareness on rabies and preventing dog bites
Education on dog behaviour and bite prevention for both children and adults is an essential extension of a rabies vaccination programme and can decrease both the incidence of human rabies and the financial burden of treating dog bites. Increasing awareness of rabies prevention and control in communities includes education and information on responsible pet ownership, how to prevent dog bites, and immediate care measures after a bite. Engagement and ownership of the programme at the community level increases reach and uptake of key messages.

Immunisation of people
The same vaccine is used to immunize people after an exposure or before exposure to rabies. Pre-exposure immunisation is recommended for people in certain high-risk occupations such as laboratory workers handling live rabies and rabies-related (lyssavirus) viruses; and people (such as animal disease control staff and wildlife rangers) whose professional or personal activities might bring them into direct contact with bats, carnivores, or other mammals that may be infected.

Pre-exposure immunisation might be indicated also for outdoor travellers to and expatriates living in remote areas with a high rabies exposure risk and limited local access to rabies biologics. Finally, immunisation should also be considered for children living in, or visiting such areas. As they play with animals, they may receive more severe bites, or may not report bites.

Symptoms
The incubation period for rabies is typically 2–3 months but may vary from 1 week to 1 year, dependent upon factors such as the location of virus entry and viral load. Initial symptoms of rabies include a fever with pain and unusual or unexplained tingling, pricking, or burning sensation (paraesthesia) at the wound site. As the virus spreads to the central nervous system, progressive and fatal inflammation of the brain and spinal cord develops.

There are two forms of the disease:


 * Furious rabies results in signs of hyperactivity, excitable behaviour, hydrophobia (fear of water) and sometimes aerophobia (fear of drafts or of fresh air). Death occurs after a few days due to cardio-respiratory arrest.
 * Paralytic rabies accounts for about 20% of the total number of human cases. This form of rabies runs a less dramatic and usually longer course than the furious form. Muscles gradually become paralysed, starting at the site of the bite or scratch. A coma slowly develops, and eventually death occurs. The paralytic form of rabies is often misdiagnosed, contributing to the under-reporting of the disease.

Diagnosis
Current diagnostic tools are not suitable for detecting rabies infection before the onset of clinical disease, and unless the rabies-specific signs of hydrophobia or aerophobia are present, clinical diagnosis may be difficult. Human rabies can be confirmed intra-vitam and post mortem by various diagnostic techniques that detect whole viruses, viral antigens, or nucleic acids in infected tissues (brain, skin or saliva).

Transmission
People are usually infected following a deep bite or scratch from an animal with rabies, and transmission to humans by rabid dogs accounts for up to 99% of cases. Human deaths following exposure to foxes, raccoons, skunks, jackals, mongooses and other wild carnivore host species are very rare, and bites from rodents are not known to transmit rabies.

Transmission can also occur if saliva of infected animals comes into direct contact with human mucosa or fresh skin wounds. Contraction of rabies through inhalation of virus-containing aerosols or through transplantation of infected organs is described, but extremely rare. Human-to-human transmission through bites or saliva is theoretically possible but has never been confirmed. The same applies for transmission to humans via consumption of raw meat or milk of infected animals.

Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP)
Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is the immediate treatment of a bite victim after rabies exposure. This prevents virus entry into the central nervous system, which results in imminent death. PEP consists of:


 * Extensive washing and local treatment of the bite wound or scratch as soon as possible after a suspected exposure;
 * a course of potent and effective rabies vaccine that meets WHO standards; and
 * the administration of rabies immunoglobulin (RIG), if indicated.

Starting the treatment soon after an exposure to rabies virus can effectively prevent the onset of symptoms and death.

FIRST AID: Extensive wound washing
This first-aid measure includes immediate and thorough flushing and washing of the wound for a minimum of 15 minutes with soap and water, detergent, povidone iodine or other substances that remove and kill the rabies virus.

WHO response
Mexico was the first country to have been validated by WHO in 2019 for eliminating human deaths from dog-mediated rabied. Rabies is included in WHO’s new 2021-2030 road map. As a zoonotic disease, it requires close cross-sectoral coordination at the national, regional and global levels.

The 2030 NTD (Neglected Tropical Diseases) Roadmap is a guiding document for the global response to NTDs over the next decade and includes regional, progressive targets for rabies elimination. The key towards sustaining and expanding the rabies programmes to adjacent geographies has been to start small, catalyse local rabies programmes through stimulus packages, demonstrate success and cost-effectiveness, and ensure the engagement of governments and affected communities.

Rabies elimination needs adequate and long-term investments. Showcasing local success and raising awareness on rabies have been proven effective to gain and maintain political will.

Mexico is the first country in the world to obtain WHO validation for eliminating this disease as a public health problem
Mexico has become the first country in the world to receive validation from the World Health Organization (WHO) for eliminating dog-transmitted rabies as a public health problem. “Eliminating rabies doesn’t happen by accident,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “It takes political resolve, careful planning and meticulous execution. I congratulate the Government of Mexico on this wonderful achievement and hope many other countries will follow its example.”

How did Mexico achieve this?
In order to achieve elimination, the country has implemented a national strategy for the control and elimination of rabies. This includes free, mass vaccination campaigns for dogs, that have taken place since the 1990’s with more than 80% coverage; continuous and effective surveillance; public awareness-raising campaigns; timely diagnosis; and the availability of post-exposure prophylaxis in the country’s public health services.

As a result, the country went from registering 60 cases of human rabies transmitted by dogs in 1990, to 3 cases in 1999, and zero cases in 2006. The last two cases occurred in two people from the State of Mexico, who were attacked in 2005 and presented symptoms in 2006.

Mexico’s feat against rabies through cross-sectoral collaboration is possible in other countries
Sustained political will and community engagement are among the measures necessary to reach the goal of "Zero by 30" and, eventually, freedom from dog-mediated rabies. Combined with technical guidance from international organisations it would strengthen the capacity of countries to implement rabies elimination programmes.