Here’s a horror story on four legs. This past Tuesday, 15-year-old Altaf was attacked by a Pit Bull Terrier in his Ghaziabad neighbourhood. The dog, who belongs to new residents of the area, took Altaf down and kept attacking him. A neighbour had the presence of mind to throw water on the dog, and Altaf got the chance to run to his house.
The Pit Bull followed and attacked Altaf again. This time stray dogs who live on the street came to the rescue, engaging the Pit Bull; Altaf made good his escape. He is now in hospital while the Pit Bull has been seized by the local authorities. Meanwhile, a horrifying video of the incident has gone viral.
The incident also dispels the myth that street dogs are the only dangerous type of canines. Meanwhile, the government banned 23 breeds in India such as Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, Dogo Argentinos, American Bulldogs, Akitas and Rhodesian Ridgebacks. Some high courts have ruled against the order, but the legal battle is likely to continue.
“I’m completely against the ban. The issue needs to be addressed in a different matter. No dog is born aggressive, it all depends on the way you bring it up and train it,” says Aaron Patrick D’Silva, Pet Behavourialist and Trustee, Purple Patch Trust, an animal sanctuary in Delhi. Kalhan Kaul, Dog Trainer at K9 School in Chhattarpur, Delhi, couldn’t agree more. “There is no breed that is difficult to train. Training needs effort and time, and often pet parents don’t think about it before getting a pet,” he says.
Put it down to image acquisition. Foreign dogs have become aspirational in Tier I and Tier II towns like Ghaziabad, a microcosm of the nation’s pet dog ownership dream. In parallel, stray dog populations are on the rise. Shailendra Singh, who lives at Proview Laboni in the upmarket Crossings Republik zone of Ghaziabad, recalls a terrifying incident involving his 11-year-old daughter Aditi. “A few days ago, when Aditi was walking with her mother to pick up her little sister from play school, a street dog attacked her from behind and bit her. We rushed her to the hospital, where she received treatment and the required vaccination. Thankfully, she’s okay now, but the memory of that terrifying moment still haunts her and us,” he says.
Singh is traumatised and feels powerless. “The sight of Aditi bleeding uncontrollably filled us with panic and helplessness. It’s a terrible situation, and it’s getting worse. Stray dogs roam about freely, posing a threat to everyone, especially children. What’s even more heartbreaking is that some people, including pet owners and dog lovers, continue to feed these stray dogs,” he adds.
Pedigreed canines, or pure-bred dogs, have their share of terrible tales. Recalls 30-year-old Iti Sharma, who works at a multinational corporation in Delhi: “When I was studying in Dehradun, I used to stay in a PG accommodation where there was a huge German Shepherd. We had repeatedly complained about the dog being aggressive, but the landlord turned a blind eye until one day he broke loose and attacked me. He pounced on me and bit my leg; he kept biting until the landlord came out of his house and pulled him away. It was like being attacked by some huge wild animal. I had to be rushed to the hospital.”
Two years ago, a Pit Bull killed the mother of his owner in Lucknow, triggering nationwide outrage against the breed. The animal was taken away by the municipal authority, but was later returned to the owner, Amit, for lack of official policy concerning such incidents. Experts believe that owning a Pit Bull without understanding the breed led to the incident. Amit’s dog was always kept inside the house and was never taken out for socialisation or exercise. Such practices with a breed like the Pit Bull will certainly change its behaviour, say dog breeders and adoption agencies.
“Many just buy dogs because they have read about it on social media, and it will be cool to get a cute dog. There is no commitment, involvement and responsibility on the part of the dog owner. Keeping a pet is just like raising a human child; if you don’t have the time and space to devote to bringing up a dog, you should not get one. You can’t keep a dog constantly chained or deprived of exercise,” cautions D’Silva.
This year, on February 26, a 16-month-old toddler died after an attack by dogs at Tughlaq Lane in Lutyens Delhi, sending shockwaves across the nation. Locals claim that the stray dogs were involved in the attack, but activists point at a pet Pit Bull that was kept tied inside the premises of the victim's family. A group of activists, including People For Animals (PFA) Trustee Ambika Shukla voiced their concern over the ‘missing’ Pit Bull related to the incident.
“Without any proper investigation, blame was put on stray dogs. Our activists on the ground have found that there was a Pit Bull inside the premises where the incident happened, and it was kept chained for breeding purposes. A chained Pit Bull can be very dangerous. After the incident, the dog was removed from the place. The area is a gated community and nobody can go in or out, but the toddler was found outside the gate,” Shukla says.
The fascination of Indians with Western breeds was perhaps on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mind when he used the 68th edition of his Mann Ki Baat back in 2020 to promote indigenous dog breeds as pets. He mentioned the virtues of the Mudhol Hound, Himachal Hound, Rajpalayam, Kanni, Chippiparai and Kombai among India’s indigenous breeds that would be as good as any other recognised kind. Indigenous breeds are better adapted to the climate, have fewer health issues and are proudly and purely Indian, but get no billboards from animal activists. The problem is that Indian dog breeds, except the Kombai, are hounds, which means they are designed by nature to run. They do well in flats or apartments, but also need regular exercise. Their large size, however, also plays a role in flat owners not adopting them.
Himalayan Shepherd dogs or Leopard Hounds were born to do one job: guarding flocks of sheep and goats from predators. The Indian Army has recognised their value. It is extensively using Indian hounds in anti-terror operations and Rajapalayams and Himalayan Leopard Hounds or Bhutiyas can be seen some times participating in security operations.
India’s canine issues have wound their way through the courts and government bodies. Last month saw a watershed moment when the Centre wrote to state governments asking them to ban the import, sale and breeding of 23 canine breeds (see box for full list). But is the ban a good idea? “How can you claim which breed bites? They have put Dogo Argentino in the category of Pit Bulls, and they haven’t added Indian Bullys or Pakistani Bullys to that,” says Kaveri Rana Bhardwaj, founder of Sophie Memorial Animal Rescue Trust (SMART) and animal rights activist.
The blanket ban on dogs considered dangerous reflects ignorance of the authorities. Sanjay Mohapatra, founder, House of Stray Animals (HSA), protests, “Without forming a committee, without consulting dog parents, activists and experts, the government has come up with biased suggestions. It’s not about the breed, it’s about the people who are holding the leash.” Stray dogs and pedigree guard dogs are instinctively protective of their territory, which is one of the reasons people get bitten. Last year, Jaydipsinh Rathod was on his motorcycle when he was chased by stray dogs in Jamnagar; he had a fatal accident while trying to escape.
The dilemma is that stray dogs by nature are foragers and cannot be trained. Which explains the countrywide fatalities from dog bites; the poor have it the worst— in January a seven-month old baby was killed in Bhopal by stray dogs in a locality where his mother worked as a maid.
A video of the horrifying attack showed the infant's arm being ripped off by the dogs. But indie activists will have none of it, defending their pet cause.
A PETA official told a reporter that stray dogs bite only if they feel threatened, or are physically abused.
That doesn’t explain why a street indie should maul a baby to death. Or chase tea millionaire 49-year-old Parag Desai, who died from a stray dog attack during his morning walk in Ahmedabad. Bhardwaj notes, “Breeds don’t decide whether they will bite or not; the kind of upbringing and breeding practices will matter in the end, for even a Beagle can bite. You cannot go ahead and pronounce one breed as ferocious just because you think it is,” she says.
On the other hand, Iti Sharma admits that the fear of dogs won’t leave her. “It has scarred me for life. I am not able to pet any dog, even dogs owned by my siblings. That one incident has changed my life forever. My request to all dog parents is to understand the temperament of the dog before getting one home. A ferocious German Shepherd or any other similar large dog can kill somebody, so people need to be careful while getting one home. Every one cannot love dogs, and dog lovers should understand that,” she says.
The death toll from rabies is no small number. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare reported a 36.5 per cent year-on-year increase in dog bites in India, from 2.18 million incidents in 2022 to 2.75 million incidents in 2023. Though data is scant, available information says rabies from dog bites causes 18,000-20,000 deaths every year. About 30-60 per cent of the victims are children under 15 years old.
Some dog owners are indignant about targeting pedigree dogs. “Dogo Argentino is one of the friendliest and adorable dogs. We misrepresent it as a fighting breed, but it’s known for its looks and soft temperament,” says Bhardwaj. Mohapatra agrees.
“I have seen aggressive Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers, which were poorly trained, chained throughout their life, and had no socialisation and basic training in their early years. I have seen similar cases with Beagles, French Bulldogs and many other breeds not mentioned in the list,” he says.
Dog adoption, especially of foreign breeds, is on the rise. Activists and NGOs largely run free dog adoption services in India. “We say adopt a dog and not buy one. Whenever we raid illegal puppy mills, we find the mother and puppies kept in a cage or in a bad condition and are malnourished. Why promote torture of dogs when you love them? Many people abandon their pets. Give them a home for life,” pleads Mohapatra.
Adoption, particularly of pedigree dogs, has become popular since the Covid pandemic. During enforced shutdowns and work from home situations, people bought puppies for entertainment. Trainers were not available because of lockdowns, nor did the owners care much about watching YouTube videos on pet training. Kaul knows this from immediate experience. “Why do you want a dog? That is what one should ask oneself. Most people don’t take even one year to train their dogs properly. Ideally, one should seek help from trainers during puppyhood, but most people only get help when things go out of hand—when the pet gets aggressive—and these are the kind of dogs that end up in shelters,” he says.
What a particular breed requires is crucial. “One can make their ‘non-aggressive breed’ dog aggressive by poor training and negligence. The dog parents must understand the needs of the pedigree breed before adopting one. Labradors need regular exercise, German Shepherds need more exercise, and Boxers need even more,” Mohapatra says.
Keeping a dog is not enough; caring for it is more important. In January, a Gwalior man’s hungry Rottweiler tore the flesh off his arms and legs because he forgot to feed it. Some of these dogs are legends, too, as man’s best friend. The example of a Rottweiler in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, taking a bullet for his master who was fired on, has become an icon for breed loyalty. In Gwalior, a German Shepherd is seen on CCTV, in a face-off with seven men who were trying to kidnap its master. Owners of dogs on the ban list are an angry lot. Tushar Srivastava, pet parent of a Rottweiler named Gabbar, is one of them.
“Incidents of stray-dog bites are rising by the day, yet the government targets pedigreed dogs. There are news of stray dogs mauling kids to death, I haven’t heard any Rotty (Rottweiler) being involved in any such incidents in recent history. The government must answer what the grounds for banning Rottys are, and doing absolutely nothing about the stray dog menace. Rottys are such loyal dogs who never attack anyone without provocation. It is a harsh reality that society is being divided into two types of people, dog haters and dog lovers, and the government has just added more trouble by issuing a list of dogs suggesting a ban,” Srivastava says.
The fight isn’t over yet, for petitions against the ban have been filed nationwide. On Wednesday, the Karnataka High Court quashed the letter from the Centre banning 23 breeds. The Calcutta High Court had earlier partially stayed the ban. Earlier this month, the Delhi High Court asked the Centre about the rationale behind the ban; all petitions on the issue will now be heard by a division bench of the Delhi High Court.
STRAY AND UNTRUE
Another major canine crisis is aggressive stray dogs. From the occasional indie here and there, almost all residential spaces in cities towns and villages are overrun by packs of strays. Animal lovers in every locality feed them, which adds human-human conflict to the human-animal angle. On April 5, three-year-old Bhavya Sharma was playing in a park near her home in ZU 3, Greater Noida, when she was attacked by four stray dogs.
Pawan Sharma, the victim’s father, who works in Sahibabad, says, “I got a call about the incident and rushed home. I saw multiple bite marks on my daughter’s body. The local residents and the gardeners rushed to save my daughter after hearing her cries. There were four dogs involved in the incident, and they still live in the park as the authority has failed to take any action. As a father, I am worried about my child’s safety; there must be a rule to get the aggressive dogs relocated.”
Stray dogs and their packs are governed by the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules 2023, which require them to be caught, neutered, vaccinated for rabies, and released back into the community. These rules were introduced in 2001 and amended in 2010, and once again last year.
The Supreme Court has upheld the right of citizens to feed strays, and the Animal Welfare Board of India has guidelines stating that RWAs cannot deny feeding or designate feeding spots without the agreement of the feeders. RWAs can face legal action if they issue illegal orders or intimidate residents who feed dogs. Unbridled discretionary powers cannot be granted to the municipal authorities for killing stray dogs. On the other hand, the Bombay, Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh high courts have held that local authorities have discretionary powers to kill stray dogs and are not subject to the ABC Rules.
Activists claim that the local municipal body must ensure animal birth control rules. “Before blaming any dog parent and dog lover, the people should understand the rules. It is the municipal authority who is to be questioned, not those who take care of the dogs. The Supreme Court ruling clearly states that to control the population of strays, the local bodies must ensure birth-control measures by regularly spaying dogs. This is not happening,” says Bhardwaj.
In 2022, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court penalised the feeding of stray dogs in public spaces, which the Supreme Court subsequently stayed. Leena Sharma, advocate, and animal rights activist, explains, “The Supreme Court has made very clear rules to control stray dog populations. The apex court had made ABC rules in 2001 and made it mandatory for all the local bodies to ensure timely spaying to control stray population. However, very few local bodies have followed it since then. There has been an exponential rise in numbers of stray dogs due to which space and resources are scarce for them, which leads to aggressive behaviour.”
Illegal breeding of aggressive dogs is rampant for dog-fighting and hunting contests. Bullys are prized for their size, aggression and power; they are used in illegal dog fights in rural Haryana and Punjab, where huge bets are placed on which dog will fight the other one to death. Says Abhinav Srihan, animal rights activist and founder of Fauna Police: “Illegal breeding for dog fight and hunting is an open secret. I have been fighting this battle against the illegal dog breeders of Punjab for a decade. There are videos on social media on dog-fighting tournaments involving Pit Bulls and Pakistani Bullys and dogs hunting wild boars and hares.”
This problem isn’t very high in public perception yet, and state governments as well as local bodies couldn’t be bothered. “It is an open secret, but the government agencies seem to have turned a blind eye. I have been threatened on social media repeatedly. These illegal breeders specifically change the bloodline to make dogs more aggressive. They often start aggression training at a young age. Mostly Pit Bulls and other related breeds are involved in the banned sport, which involves huge money. Imagine such aggressive puppies being sold on Delhi or Noida streets; this is how it all goes southward,” says Srihan.
With pedigree breeds in the doghouse and court battles continuing, it’s clear that every dog isn’t having its day.
The Ban List
Here’s the list of dog breeds whose import, sale and breeding was banned by March 12 notification of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India
Pit Bull Terrier
Tosa Inu
American Staffordshire Terrier
Fila Brasileiro
Dogo Argentino
American Bulldog
Boerboel Kangal
Central Asian Shepherd Dog
Caucasian Shepherd Dog
South Russian Shepherd Dog
Tornjak
Sarplaninac
Japanese Tosa
Akita
Mastiffs
Terriers
Rhodesian Ridgeback
Wolf Dogs
Canario
Akbash Dog
Moscow Guard Dog
Cane Corso
Bandog
18,000-20,000
is the estimated annual number of rabies deaths in India. More than half of reported rabies cases and deaths are in children under the age of 15
27.5 lakh
is the number of dog bite cases recorded in India last year, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. This number was much lower at 21.8 lakh in 2022. With 4.35 lakh cases, Maharashtra recorded the highest number of dog bites last year
Three-year-old Bhavya (above with her father Pawan Sharma) was playing in a park near her home in ZU 3, Greater Noida, when she was attacked by four stray dogs. Witnesses say that the dogs were just lazing around in the park when they attacked the child who was playing. Local residents claim that the same dogs had bitten an elderly citizen when he was taking a stroll in the park, but despite repeated complaints, no action was taken by the authorities
Aditi from Crossings Republik, Ghaziabad, was attacked by a stray dog. It all happened so fast that the 11-year-old couldn’t even comprehend what was going on. It was when little Aditi began screaming in shock that the dog ran away. She’s been treated and vaccinated but the shock refuses to wear off