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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