Is a Dog really a Man’s best Friend….?

TechnoparkToday.com>>  Often we sign online petitions without really understanding the gravity of the cause. One such cause which I favored lately was the protest against the killing of the stray dogs in Kerala. But when I understood the root reason behind the State Government’s decision to eradicate the stray dog population that’s when the whole move by the Government made a little sense!

Before the #Boycottkerala hashtag took off on social media the pseudo animal lovers neglected the other side of the coin. Apparently there have been over 1 Lakh recorded instances of dog bites in Kerala. There have been serious injuries, a death of a young girl due to dog bite was reported in a leading daily some days ago, also many cases of road accidents due to the street dogs coming in the front of running two wheelers. There was a story reported on a News channel focusing on the dog menace.

A 21 year old guy lost his balance when a dog came midway on the road crashing him against the divider that left him paralysed below back. The poor lad is in hospital now with no one but old parents by his side.

A young life full of aspirations and dreams lost in between the tragic incident. I personally witnessed an accident in my locality while heading for work when an old gentleman fell off from his scooty as a dog chased him. He was bleeding profusely from his forehead and elbow. The elderly citizens are worst affected by the aggressive dogs in the streets.

They are the ones who live with high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, heart ailments, vision issues, who have undergone bypass surgery, kidney transplants etc. Imagine how they suffer due to the disruption caused by these street dogs! That evening stroller could be your own father or grandmother or that friendly uncle next door. Would you be able to take it if they are attacked by a rabid dog?

Owing to the huge activists’ outcry the Kerala government did not go down the path of killing the stray dogs. Instead, the office of the Chief Minister has ordered that the menace should be dealt with humanely, through a sterilization drive of the dogs. The government has ordered the animal husbandry department to open 50 sterilization centers spread across 10 districts.

The self-proclaimed Animal lovers and animal right activists should take the efforts instead of protesting against the state Government on the roads and social media. Every animal lover who is against the killing should first and foremost adopt a stray dog and raise them as their pet. Will you choose a stray dog over a Pomeranian or a Dalmatian? Animal lovers also should take charge in feeding them so that they don’t loiter around garbage placed on the public roads. If a dog is known to be dangerous, catch it and hand it over to the local animal NGO.

 Though culling is inhuman, public safety should never be compromised. I might sound insensitive but let’s face it “A human’s life is more important than a dogs’ life…period!” A dog indeed is a man’s best friend but when the friend turns into a life threatening foe then we don’t have any other option but to exterminate them.

Let’s hope that the measures taken by the Government brings back the safety of countless pedestrians and riders.

Aparna Nair