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A dog loves you when you forget to love yourself

26th August is celebrated as National Dog Day

dog

Sentinel Digital DeskBy : Sentinel Digital Desk

  |  29 Aug 2022 3:05 AM GMT

Vinod C Dixit

(dixitpatrakar@yahoo.in)

26th August is celebrated as National Dog Day. It was first established in 2004 by pet and family lifestyle advocate Colleen Paige. The aim of promoting this day is to raise awareness about adopting these animals who are currently in rescue centres. This day has also been using its platform to encourage dog ownership of all breeds, mixed and pure, and continuously pushes for all dogs to be allowed to live happy and abuse-free lives.

The stray dog population is increasing dramatically and becoming a threat to humans in cities. To control the street dog population it shall be incumbent for the municipal bodies concerned to sterilize and immunize the street dog population with the participation of animal welfare organizations/NGOs, and private individuals. The street dogs shall be sterilized and immunized by methods currently approved.

There are some people who seem to imagine that we have some sort of "right" to remove animals - take life, without any regard for our moral responsibilities towards creatures that share this planet with us. We are a nation that believes in ahimsa and shuns cruelty. One must remember that the earth is not for humans alone. People cannot find spitting and urinating in public spaces a menace but they find it hard to live with these harmless species. Most stray dogs lead miserable lives, scavenging for rotten food. They starve and are affected by painful and debilitating diseases, some of which are communicable to humans. Many stray dogs chase and bark at the people and children sending jitters down the spine. Efforts should be made to ensure that animal birth control and rabies vaccination programmes are run properly. Municipal bodies should clean up the streets to make them rubbish-free. The municipal authorities have successfully captured many stray dogs with the help of expecting dog catchers but were criticized by PETA and other animal rights activists for their cruel treatment and killing of the captive dogs. It is seen that the stray dog menace happens mostly in the areas where there is rubbish and waste is thrown. To discard or litter the waste along the roadsides should be penalized and the door-to-door collection of food waste by the municipal authorities should be encouraged instead of the roadside bins.

According to a Supreme Court directive, no stray dog should be culled and only sterilization is permitted for controlling its population. If the laws were in favour of street dogs, the government should take measures to safeguard the public from stray dogs. To control rabies, the municipalities in the affected areas have to get a clear picture of stray dogs in the area that must be vaccinated and leave the dogs in some far-away areas. It is to be remembered that dogs as pets are wonderful but as strays, they are a threat to society.

Stray dogs are very much part of many communities and teach valuable lessons in friendship, cooperation, and loyalty to children and adults alike. They are our all-weather best friends and they give us unconditional love which humans lack so we must learn to love and respect them. We need to understand that dogs are a part of our urban environment and have to be tackled with a sense of humanity and compassion. Dogs love us unconditionally and there are examples where they have given up their lives for their caretakers. Let us learn co-existence with other creatures in nature and give a fistful of rice to the stray dogs and they will never harm you. Dogs have lived with humans for eternity and try to warn the neighbourhood where they live about intruders. We must show the spirit of a loving nation by dealing with this problem in a peaceful and humane manner. Dogs are man's best friends forever if we care for them.

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