BANGALORE: The incident of stray dogs biting a one-and-a-half-year-old toddler on Monday brings back the focus on the city’s garbage dumps, which attract many a stray dog.
Dogs are seen moving in packs day and night, feasting on the waste dumps and chasing people. There have been numerous complaints about the menace of such dogs, whose numbers have increased exponentially in the recent past. One way of tackling the menace is by effectively disposing the city’s garbage, say civic experts.
When contacted, Deputy Director (Animal Husbandry) K A Nanjappa of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) said garbage attracts dogs, who fight among themselves for meat and other waste.
He said the rules do not permit the local body to cull the dogs. “However, we are visiting different localities and capturing and sterilising strays. They are then administered anti-rabies vaccine and are also de-wormed,” he said. He added that animal birth control techniques are also being implemented to control the number of stray dogs. “Considering that a dog litters twice a year, with at least 6-7 puppies every time, it is difficult to contain their numbers,” he said.
Asked why stray dogs cannot be relocated, he said residents complain that the number of stray dogs has increased, but at the same time, some want the captured dogs to be released back to the same locality. “We are in a quandary,” he said.
Prakash Reddy, Deputy Director, Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services, said, “Dogs are normally ferocious when they have just had puppies. They are very protective and tend to attack anything that threatens their offspring. Also, during festivals when meat is cooked, the garbage mostly comprises animal waste. And dogs lap it up.”
The worst affected by stray dogs are the motorists. They dread commuting late night because chances of being chased by dogs is greater at night. “I finish work by around 11.30 pm. Going back home is a harrowing experience as dogs chase bike riders. I avoid bylanes and stick to the main roads as the latter are generally free of dogs due to the continuous traffic,” said Dhiraj Bhat, a resident of Thyagarajanagar.
Another resident said despite complaints to BBMP, the situation hasn’t changed. Considering that Diwali is just around the corner, motorists will have to watch out as dogs are normally agitated by the sound of crackers, said Prakash Reddy.