A viral video in which a child was mauled to death by a pack of dogs in broad daylight has sent chills across the nation.
Horrifying video from Hyderabad of a 4-year-old boy being mauled by a pack of dogs. The boy unfortunately didn’t survive the attack. pic.twitter.com/ieee8o9psK
— Akshita Nandagopal (@Akshita_N) February 21, 2023
In recent past, we have seen few other incidents, where either a kid or adult being attacked by Rottweiler or other breeds of dogs. Dog menace is going unchecked across the country and some legislations bars the authority from taking steps to curb the menace.
Who should we hold responsible for such mishaps? Should we hold people feeding stray dogs as culpable for such deaths?
Many two-wheeler riders have made several complaints in social media and other platforms about how scared they are while riding motorcycles in the night in streets of Chennai as pack of rabid dogs chase them. Some get attacked while some lose control of the vehicle while speeding away.
Few years back a motorist lost his life after few dogs appeared in front of him out of nowhere and started chasing him, he lost control of his bike, fell down, got injured and died. Many such incidents have been reported. In Madurai, stray dogs attacked 6 people in the same area in a single day in January 2021. The stray dog menace at IIT Madras is not just being a nuisance to residents but also pose a threat to the wildlife in the forest.
It is more difficult when you have elderly people in pillion when dogs chase the bike. The mental agony one goes through at that instance is unexplainable. Loss of life due to such freak accidents can be avoided, if stray dog menace is handled effectively by civic authorities and NGOs.
Animal Birth Control measures and anti-rabies injections is only a part of the solution. When the authorities free the dogs in the same locality, it’s not easy to trace dogs in every nook and corner to make the project effective. Some harsh measures in handling canine menace is the need of the day. Rabid dogs need to be separated and culled so that they don’t infect others by civic authorities. Just like how flu infected birds are culled for the larger good.
Responsibility should also come down to the individual level. Those who feed strays should take ownership. Pet dog owners should ensure that the dog’s mouth is covered with a muzzle whenever they step out for a stroll. In case, a mishap is reported the pet dog owner or the individual(s) feeding rabid strays should be penalized.
Ofcourse dogs too have a life and need to be given care but that can’t be the reason for justifying the roaming of rabid strays which are lethal. Human life is much more valuable than a canine’s. Life of citizen should be held sacrosanct while drawing up rules for animal safety and welfare. The government should stop listening or ignore arm twisting tactics of organisation like PETA and come up with human safety plans against rabid animals on the streets.
Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.