Issues on stray dogs

An Assignment

In Environment Management

TYBBA

Submitted by: Glancy Gurjao R-10-22

BBA

Term 09 30th August 2012

The stray dog issue

The plight of stray is one of the most visible animal welfare issue in the world today. Out of the estimated 600million dogs in the world, approximately 75%are strays. In many countries the majority of stray animals have been abandoned by their owners or are owned but allowed to roam freely. The unsupervised dogs then breed, resulting to unwanted puppies. Around the world 600million stray and roaming dogs face disease, starvation and cruel methods of population management such as poisoning and electrocution.

Issues about stray dogs in Goa

Stray dogs to be sterilized: Govt board A census of stray dogs in the state; a committee to inspect slaughter houses and submission of proposals by animal welfare organizations (AWOs) to the state government for funds, were among the key issues discussed at a meeting of the state advisory board for animal welfare on Tuesday. The board headed by secretary (animal husbandry) V P Rao as chairman took up the issue of the vexing problem of stray dogs in the state. The members discussed how the canine population could be controlled and a census was felt necessary for the purpose. The secretary asked if NGOs were willing to do it. But as differentiating pet dogs from strays is a problem and the area to be covered is vast, the issue remained inconclusive. It was agreed that the stray dog population should be sterilized. NGOs functioning all over the state can be apportioned specific areas to carry out the work. The issue of illegal slaughter and killing of diseased cows also took some space in the discussion. It was suggested that incidents of illegal slaughtering of cattle can be curbed by creating awareness among consumers. The meat traders buy diseased cows, which are largely stray animals, sourced from roadside and auctioned cheap.

A police official said they can book cases if cattle is treated cruelly during transportation or the stakeholders should be sensitized about the issue. Sachin Sutar, who represented the animal rescue squad, explained how activists face a dilemma in complaining about illegal slaughter. He alleged that the police try to wash off their hands, stating that it is not their job. It was mooted that SPs should be called at the next meeting to discuss a solution. The functioning of societies for prevention of cruelty to animals (SPCAs), both in North Goa and South Goa was reviewed. Though they were formed around two years back, they have neither any funds nor vehicles to carry out their work. It was felt that the state government should directly approve funds for the NGOs instead of the animal welfare board of India due to delay. Sunil Korajkar of Green Cross raised the issue of health certificates to owners of elephants by animal husbandry and veterinary services department. It was felt that the forest department should be assigned this task. The pachyderms are also 'walked'along the roads during peak hours, he said. Rao agreed to look into the matter. Angela Kazi of Panjim animal welfare society ( PAWS) explained how her NGO had booked cases of cruelty to animals. Foreigners leave back dogs on beaches: MLA Calangute BJP MLA Michael Lobo on Thursday accused foreign tourists of adopting dogs while on holiday in Goa and leaving them unattended on the beaches when they depart after three or four months. Lobo was speaking in the assembly during question hour on the menace of stray dogs in Goa. Lobo said this menace is severest in his Calangute constituency and especially on the beaches. Elaborating he said holidaying foreigners adopt the dogs and then leave them on the beach when they leave the country. Lobo said foreigners should be instructed not to do this.

Responding

to

starred

question

by

Fatorda

MLA

Vijay

Sardesai,

chief

minister Manohar Parrikar said there is a committee under the secretary of animal husbandry to help monitor the problem of stray dogs in Goa. He added that it is basically, local authorities like village panchayats, zilla panchayats and municipalities who should deal with the menace of stray dogs. Parrikar said that he understood that smaller panchayats may not be able to cope with the menace entirely by themselves and the government is ready to provide assistance in any form, including financial, to help curb the menace . Parrikar said that in the third week of August he will hold a meeting with panchayats, NGOs, concerned MLAs and other stakeholders to work out a mechanism to curb the menace of stray dogs in Goa. Sardesai sought to highlight the problem in Margao saying that the South Goa animal welfare trust which has been entrusted with the responsibility of handling stray dogs in South Goa, lacked proper space and needed a more spacious premises for their operations. Sardesai suggested that existing premises of the animal husbandry department lying vacant could be handed to the trust. He also said that the amount given to the trust should be raised. Parrikar agreed to provide more funds but stressed that all issues would be addressed at the joint meeting in August. 'Sterilization alone won't take the bite out of stray dog issue' When it comes to the stray dog issue in Goa, the bite is definitely deeper than the bark. Take the statistics procured from the directorate of health services (DHS) for instance. The department bought anti-rabies vaccines worth 9,89,660 for the financial year 201011. That's a jump of 5,29,740 from the monies it spent on vaccines in the previous financial year. Then there is the number of registered dog bites. While 10,892 dog bites-both by pets and strays-were recorded across the state from January to December 2009, the figures for the corresponding period in 2010, for the moment, are 12,514.

Sources at the DHS say the 2010 figure excludes the number of dog bites registered at the Goa medical college and hospital, Bambolim. "Moreover, the statistics recorded by the DHS don't necessarily indicate the real picture, as the records from private hospitals/practitioners are not included," says a Panajibased veterinarian. While no deaths from rabies were recorded by the state in the last two years, the rise in the number of bites registered is definitely a cause for concern. NGOs working to control the population of stray dogs in the state are quick to point out that as established by the 2003 WHO-sponsored national survey, 74% of all bites are attributed to pet dogs. But the perpetrator of the bite notwithstanding, all's not well when it comes to tackling the increase in the stray dog population. For starters, the effort to control this population in the state dates back 12 years, when the then Panaji municipal council began a sterilization program pursuant to a PIL filed in the high court of Bombay at Goa by NGO People For Animals (PFA). This program was crystallized after the central government framed the Animal Birth Control (ABC) (Dogs) Rules 2001 under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, which was brought into force on December 24, 2001. Pursuant to another PIL filed in 2001, the Bombay high court passed an interim order in 2007 directing the director of municipal administration in Goa to start a state-level committee to oversee the implementation of the ABC program. This committee was set up in 2008, with taluka-level committees set up to ensure the implementation of the program in panchayat areas. A concerned Dr Gustavo Pinto from the Tonca veterinary hospital, while appreciating the good work done by NGOs in the state, says, "The population of stray dogs is not reducing in proportion to the number of surgeries being conducted."

PFA founding member and member of the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), Norma Alvares, says the numbers will "greatly reduce" only after a period of time. "The ABC program is not aimed at euthanasia of stray dogs. It's a long-term program and the program will bear fruit," stresses the noted advocate. She adds that while NGOs are doing their best within the resources at their disposal, there's a lot more that the state and the local population have to do. A member of the state welfare board, wishing anonymity, points out , "While the statelevel committee meets once in three months, the taluka-level committees have rarely met." Moreover, while municipalities have signed up with NGOs to implement the ABC program within their respective jurisdictions, the NGOs have been directed to also attend to complaints at the taluka level. "There's only so much an NGO can do within their resources," says Alvares, whose PFA vaccinates around 2,000 dogs each in Mormugao and Ponda talukas every year. The municipalities at the moment do provide some grants to the NGOs, while the AWBI pays 425 per dog that is sterilized. "But the sterilization cost per dog is actually 650," says Sandra Fernandes, a member of the South Goa Welfare Trust (SGWT) that implements the program in Margao. The state board member adds that the problem the NGOs face when implementing the program at the taluka level is paying their employees' salaries and travel expenditure. "While only a few village panchayats are providing some amounts to the NGOs, a majority of panchayats are not concerned at all about the problem," says the member. For instance, SGWT gets a grant of 11,000 a month with fuel reimbursements from the Margao municipal council, but nothing from panchayats, says Fernandes.

Alvares points out that Ponda municipal council pays PFA 3,500 per month, while the Curti-Khandepar panchayat pays it 2,000 a month. Ponda municipality chairperson Kishore K Naik says the amount is fixed as per the requisite of the NGO. "Earlier we paid PFA 7,000 per month, but later they said 3,500 per month is enough," says Naik. The money is only for sterilization and the salary of one employee. Alvares counters that since an amount is given by the AWBI, the municipalities feel a smaller amount is enough. "Nonetheless, if other panchayats paid at least 2,000 a month, NGOs would be able to run the program better," she opines. Ponda's veterinary officer Dr Suresh Gaonkar adds, "We are still awaiting a van from the municipality after which we can target a larger area in Ponda." In fact, most NGOs are working with just one van. The situation is far worse in Margao where stray dog-related incidents are common. SGWT has a shelter that houses 20 cages in an area of 250 sq ft. The NGO manages to sterilize around 40 stray dogs a month, while it also shell out the rent for the shelter from its own funds, says Fernandes. Admitting that getting land from the government is a near impossibility, Charmain Byrne, treasurer of Goa Animal Welfare Trust (GAWT) that implements the program in Curchorem, says, "If dog pounds were set up, properly registered and run on strict guidelines it would be possible to reduce and eventually eliminate the stray dog population in Goa." However, the stray dog population is simply too large to be effectively controlled by sterilization alone, says Pinto. "While one dog is being sterilized, at least two are born. If at all the population is controlled through the ABC program it will take at least 20 years to manifest," he adds. Byrne counters saying that in Curchorem dog bites registered at a local hospital have dropped over the last three-and-a-half years of the program being implemented there.

Meanwhile, questioning the ABC program, Dr Rosario Menezes, who filed the PIL in 2001, points out that no census of stray dog population has been done even though ABC rules mandate that a periodic census be conducted. "Without a census, how can it be assessed if there has been a reduction in the stray dog population?" asks Menezes. The AWBI, incidentally, had directed municipalities and panchayats to conduct a dog census in 2001, but this has yet to happen. Meanwhile, many NGOs point out that the general public is equally responsible for the prevailing stray dog issue. Fernandes says, "Some pet owners do not sterilize their dogs imagining the operation to be too painful, but at the same time they will not hesitate to leave the new born puppies at public places after every six months." NGOs agree that the public needs to be educated. Byrne of GAWT says, "Starting educative programs in schools will go a long way in eradicating this problem in the future." The NGOs feel that the need of the hour is to persuade pet owners to sterilize their dogs and to adopt a healthy stray puppy from recognized NGOs. Rosario, too, concurs. Seeking a revision of the existing ABC program, he says, "The program should demand strict registration, annual revaccination and sterilization of all pet dogs."

Alvares points out that if the strewn garbage problem is solved, the population of stray dogs will reduce greatly. "Stray dogs inevitably congregate, and procreate, at garbage dumps. While dog fights in these areas are common, attacks on people who pass these sites are also common.

Stem the source of food and the population of dogs and inevitably the attacks on humans will also reduce." Stray dogs bite nearly 60 persons in Panjim Two dogs went on a rampage at three locations in Panjim municipal market, Head Post Office and ferry wharf area injuring nearly 60 people, Thursday causing mild panic in the city. While the exact number of people bitten by the dogs will not be known, those who sought treatment at governments Panjim Urban Health Centre (UHC) and Goa Medical College Bambolim, touched 60. The dogs on a biting spree, attacked people at the areas opposite the Piedade Institute, Head post office, ferry wharf and Panjim church area. Besides other reports coming in said there was another rabid dog active in the Panjim market area and 18th June Road. At around 4 pm the crowd at the UHC numbered 150 including patients and those accompanying them. Sources at Panjim Urban Health Centre said that there were at least 42 cases before the centre closed at 4.30 pm. A total of at least 18 cases were known to have been referred to the casualty at GMC. Speaking to Herald, Health Officer Dr Anant Palekar said that the UHC was well equipped to deal with the issue. We administered the anti-rabies vaccine to at least 42 patients besides also treating their wounds, Dr Palekar said. He also reassured that UHC has enough stock of anti-rabies vaccines to deal with such situations and that the question of the centre running out of serum or vaccines does not arise. Each of the patients were given a shot before being discharged. The dogs were later trapped jointly by CCP workers and Panjim Animal Welfare Society and taken to the Santa Inez dog pound. It is not confirmed whether the dogs were rabid or not. None of the patients are reported to be serious.

Rescue organizations

International Animal Rescue Goa International Animal Rescue Goa was established as a charity in March 1998 with the aim of reducing the terrible suffering of the huge stray animal population in Goa. The priority at the time was to deal with the stray dog and cat population on the beaches of North Goa by sterilization, but now the center deals with many types of animals from domesticated pets to dangerous wild animals. Regular visitors to North Goa over the past decade will have noticed that many of the stray dogs now have a "clipped ear", a way of painlessly identifying that the dog has been sterilized and vaccinated against rabies by International Animal Rescue Goa Since it began this vital work International Animal Rescue Goa has sterilized more than 30,000 animals, treated huge number of casualties and seen the work expand to encompass every form of animal life. Due to the successful way in which International Animal Rescue Goa has been able to address the issue of controlling the population of stray dogs by sterilization, and as part of IAR Goa campaigning; in 1998 the Indian High Court made it illegal to shoot stray dogs. Goa Animal Welfare Trust GAWT (Goa Animal Welfare Trust) is a registered non-profit non-government animal welfare organization based in Goa, India. It was founded in 1999 in response to the barbaric method of randomly shooting stray dogs in the streets. A group of concerned animal lovers got together who wanted to alleviate the suffering of injured and sick animals in South Goa, and to help reduce the number of stray dogs in the state. Thus was born Goa Animal Welfare Trust.

Anthem for Goas Stray Dogs I'm a beach dog of Goa, I live on the sand I eat when I can, my life's not too grand I sleep all the day and I play in the sea And nobodys master of me. I'm a street dog of Goa, I live on the streets I eat from the bins, no biscuity treats I sleep by the roadside, in the dust and the sand But I'm under nobodys command I'm a puppy in Goa, I just want to play I want someone to love me, but they walk away My brothers are dead, so I'm all alone Won't someone please take me home? We are the dogs of Goa, we don't want too much Just some water and food, and a friendly touch We don't need pampering or too much fuss So please be kind to us. By: Shelley Clarke