The Stray Dog Menace in India| India Vs World: A Crisis Needing Urgency

Oneindia

The Dog Menace Crisis in India has reached alarming levels, with over 2 million dog bite cases and dozens of rabies-related deaths reported annually. The Dog Menace Crisis is not limited to urban slums but affects rural and semi-urban regions alike. The Kerala government has permitted local bodies to conduct euthanasia of diseased stray dogs under the provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Animal Husbandry Practices and Procedures) Rules, 2023. From policy failures to poor waste management, a systemic overhaul is needed to tackle this growing public health emergency.    #DogMenaceCrisis  #StrayDogIndia  #RabiesAwareness  #PublicHealthEmergency  #ProtectOurChildren #DogMenace  ~HT.410~ED.420~GR.124~PR.282~

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00:00Sample this.

00:08Incidents like these are common in India, something that is not very unusual in rest

00:12of the world too.

00:13But the frequency in India is alarming.

00:17The dog menace crisis is hitting homes in urban and rural areas alike.

00:22Nowhere is this problem more acute than in the state of Kerala, where the situation has

00:26escalated to such alarming levels that the state's High Court is deliberating whether

00:31to declare it a state disaster.

00:34Let's look at the bigger picture.

00:36Behind every statistic is a real human story.

00:39In Uttar Pradesh, the sports community is mourning the loss of Rajesh Solanki, a promising state-level

00:45Kabaddi player.

00:46Rajesh was bitten by a stray puppy he rescued, but thinking the wound was minor, he did not

00:52seek anti-rabies medication.

00:54Weeks later, the worst happened.

00:57Rabies claimed his life.

00:59Kerala alone has registered over 1,65,000 cases of dog bites in the first five months

01:05of this year, with multiple fatal rabies cases reported.

01:10Across India, over 2 million dog bites and dozens of related deaths are seen annually.

01:16So what's driving this surge?

01:18The first one.

01:19Ineffective and underfunded sterilization programs have led to unchecked breeding.

01:25Then, open garbage dumps provide food for stray animals, creating ideal conditions for

01:31packs to thrive in cities and villages alike.

01:34And then comes the issue with the local bodies, who often underutilize allocated funds and blame

01:40central laws resulting in a patchwork response with little real impact.

01:46Rapid urban development, pet abandonment, and changes in human behavior are also contributing

01:52factors.

01:53So here's where India stands globally on this matter.

01:57With an estimated 30 to 35 million stray dogs, India has among the world's largest populations

02:02of free-ranging dogs.

02:04The country accounts for roughly 35% of the world's human rabies deaths, a staggering statistic

02:10driven almost entirely by dog bites.

02:13Compared globally, countries like Bhutan and Mexico have made progress through 100% sterilization

02:19campaigns and mass dog vaccination strategies, proven to reduce both incidents and fatalities.

02:26So how can India turn the tide?

02:29Here's what's urgently required.

02:32We need to invest and rapidly deploy sterilization and rabies vaccination drives, using global best

02:37practices as models.

02:39We need to clean up, open dumping grounds and enforce waste disposal regulations to cut off

02:44food sources for stray population.

02:47States like Kerala can enact region-specific laws to address context-specific needs, moving

02:52beyond central guidelines if necessary.

02:55We need to teach communities about pet responsibility, the importance of immediate vaccination after

03:00any dog bite, and enhance anti-rabies infrastructure in hospitals.

03:05We also need to encourage the use of humane euthanasia only for rabid or mortally wounded animals,

03:11ensuring both public safety and animal welfare.

03:15In all, India stands at the brink, a crisis that is both preventable and solvable.

03:21It will take immediate action, data-driven policy, and the collective will of citizens and authorities

03:27alike to make our streets safe, protect children, and stop preventable tragedies once and for

03:33all.

03:34We need to change and let the process of that change begin at home.

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