Dogs rule the streets as DMC looks the other way

Abhyudaya Kotnala

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 3

The death of eight-year-old local boy Sonu from rabies on Thursday has again raised the question of safety of people from stray dogs in the city. It has also raised doubts about the ability of the Dehradun Municipal Corporation (DMC) to handle the menace and diverted attention towards lack of medical facilities to deal with such cases.

Sonu, a resident of Kanwli Road, was bitten by a stray dog on June 12 and was admitted to the Doon Hospital. But his condition deteiorated and he was referred to the PGI, Chandigarh, where he died yesterday. The incident also brings into focus the role of dog lovers and NGOs which oppose anti-dog campaigns at the cost of people’s safety.

According to rough estimates, there are 15,000 stray dogs in Dehradun city. Dog lovers and NGOs working for animal welfare had opposed drives to catch and sterilise stray dogs in the past, compounding the problem. The situation has become serious as people are afraid to send their children outside alone while women and elderly people have to carry sticks, particularly during morning walk, to protect themselves from stray dogs.

The situation has also brought animal lovers against victims of dog bites. The DMC plans to control the menace remain on papers. Senior veterinary officer of the DMC Vivekanand Sati said the corporation would soon launch a drive to control the menace. The health wing employees of the DMC would be trained to catch dogs, and a dog shelter would be constructed at Kedarpuram.