How This Ex-Hyderabad Municipal Commissioner Solved Stray Dog Menace; Threw The Municipal Act To Silence Animal Lovers and Maneka Gandhi News24 –

Supreme Court verdict on stray dogs — vaccinate and release them in the same locality they were seized from — has kicked off a debate on the menace these stray dogs pose as they turn wild, roaming around free, biting and killing small children and senior citizens, and how to tackle the problem.

While the Apex Court decision that came on Friday was welcomed by dog lovers, people who have handled the public interest issue in the past are aghast at the verdict that may do nothing to eliminate the problem wild stray dogs pose.

If former Union Minister and BJP leader Vijay Goel lashed out against the order and asserted that now if a stray dog bites anyone, it would be the court and the dog lovers who would be responsible. In Delhi, there were an estimated 10 lakh stray dogs on the streets, there are former city administrators blasting the order as “ridiculous”.

“Nowhere in the world you will find stray dogs roaming around in the street and residential areas, biting and killing small children and senior citizens,” said DK Panwar, a career bureaucrat from the Andhra Pradesh cadre, in conversation with News24. 

Digging into his own life as Municipal Commissioner, Hyderabad in 1997, he said he had tackled this problem of stray dogs that were attacking children and senior citizens, just by duly following the  Municipal Corporation Act. The Act, he said, stipulated that the municipal authorities should pick up all these stray dogs and keep them in a shelter for a week. If anyone comes to claim a dog as his or her pet dog, the same can be released after he or she pays charges for feeding the dog and with an admonition that they will ensure that the dog is kept within the house and to keep them under leash whenever they take it outside. “If nobody comes to claim these dogs for a week, the Act permits the authorities to eliminate the dogs. In one month, the problem of dog bites and stray dogs was solved in Hyderabad by duly following the Act,” he said.

Yes, there were the NGOs and dog lovers who raised a hue and cry. “I showed them the Act and hundreds of complaints received from the general public to curb this menace of dog bites by the stray dogs,” Panwar said, adding that “Mrs Menaka Gandhi came all the way from Delhi to protest. She was then a Union Minister and wanted me to come and meet her and explain. But I sent my Director, Animal Husbandry, with a copy of the relevant provision contained in the Municipal Act with clear instructions not to utter any word and just keep quiet, but simply show the minister the provision contained in the Act. She was informed that the Commissioner had gone for an emergent inspection and could not personally could not come. Meanwhile, I had briefed our CM, Mr. Chandrababu Naidu, and I had his consent on the action taken by me as per the Act. She raised some ruckus, but nothing happened.”

Another former senior bureaucrat, who now lives in Bengaluru, admitted that the other day, he himself had faced a situation of being surrounded by a pack of stray dogs. They can be menacing. The problem is very real, but the solutions may not be easy, as the demographics of human beings and dogs have also changed. 

He appeared to concur with Panwar, incidentally, both of whom are dog lovers and have kept pets all their lives so far, that “misplaced sympathy (of dog lovers) should not be given weightage over the safety of citizens in our cities, towns and villages. But can Municipal Authorities authorities today take such harsh measures, and especially after the Supreme Court order, is the question. 

Former bureaucrat DV Prasad said that “There must be lots of restrictions legal/administrative right from Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, Animal Birth control rules, some of the Directive Principles of the Constitution.”

Another problem, according to him, is that there are hardly any vets working in Municipalities.”Although Municipalities and Gram Panchayats are legally empowered to tackle the dog menace, there are huge inherent administrative issues/bottlenecks. Animal Rights NGOs etc, should be empowered by Municipalities to take up sterilisation, vaccination activities, he said.

Another former Secretary to the Government of India said, “The SC judgement will impact, and a standard operating procedure will be required to deal with it, besides logistics. But their existing protocol will continue right now. They do vaccinate and sterilise, but their logistics are on a small scale.”

Animal Rights activist, Maneka Gandhi has welcomed the Supreme Court order, describing it as one with a scientific approach, many members of Residents Welfare Associations have expressed dismay over the same, as it leaves the problem unaddressed. 

Ms. Karthika Nair, who is a District Officer at the Animal Crime Control in Sri Sathya Sai District, Andhra Pradesh, said: “The latest court order is in accordance with the existing laws, and we welcome it. The only amendment causing confusion is the clause about aggressive dogs being retained by MCD. This is a grey area. Unless a dog is actively and randomly biting one, it is very difficult to label a dog as aggressive. A dog gets aggressive towards someone who has bullied him, but might be just fine with others. So how will this be determined? Although it sounds like a solution to the problem, the chances are it’s going to be misused and become a big problem in itself. Rabid dogs, of course, have to be detained, and they die in about 10 days naturally. Also designating feeding areas. When will the authorities get around to doing this, since it is a pan-India rule? Until then, where do the feeders feed the dogs? This also needs to be addressed ASAP.”

The Supreme Court on Friday modified its August 11 order that authorities that picked up stray dogs should sterilise, vaccinate them and release them back in the same area. Dogs are territorial creatures and may get aggressive if they find themselves in unfamiliar surroundings. 

Which is why Maneka Gandhi felt that the court had a scientific approach on the issue, but still sought clarity on who would decide on the behaviour of the canine in question, because the Court was clear that this relocation shall not apply to dogs infected with rabies and those displaying aggressive behaviour. 

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