Open House: What measures should the Administration and MC take to check the rising dog bite cases?

The municipal corporation has done little to nothing to curb the menace of stray dogs in the city. Hoards of stray dogs roam in every nook and cranny of the city. It has come to the point that parents are scared of letting their children go to the park. Large-scale vaccination and sterilisation drives must be carried out by the authorities to curb this menace. There need to be designated areas to feed the stray dogs. Dogs who are injured and elderly dogs must be taken away by the administration and given suitable treatment, as they may be a source of infection.

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Puranjay Chawla, Chandigarh

Written to Centre for strict norms

It is a matter of concern that dog bite cases have doubled this year. On our part, we have written to the Centre about making strict norms against the stray dog menace. We are also going to change our existing dog bylaws by approving the amendments in the House. — Anup Gupta, Chandigarh Mayor

Ferocious breeds should not be allowed

Dog-bite cases in the city have reached an all-time high. Efforts made by the MC to control the population of stray dogs in the tricity through sterilisation have not brought the desired results. The best solution is to create dog-pounds in every locality to sterilise the stray male dogs. The administration needs to implement rules for pet dogs in the city so that ferocious breeds are not allowed.

Manjit Singh Johar, Chandigarh

Question for next week

In light of the recent audit report highlighting various unnecessary expenditures by the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, what measures should the authorities adopt to prevent such avoidable spending?

Suggestions in not more than 70 words can be sent to

openhouse@tribunemail.com

Authorities should enforce Strict laws

The authorities must ensure the sterilisation of stray dogs. The stray dogs in the city should be sent to animal shelters. Colonies of the tricity should not provide a place for the stray dogs to stay at, and people should only be allowed to feed stray dogs in certain designated areas. Certain dangerous breeds of dogs should also be reduced in the city. The administration should enforce laws regarding pet dogs strictly.

Saikrit Gulati, Chandigarh

Solutions other than sterilisation needed

The Punjab and Haryana High Court, in its recent judgement, mandated the government of both states and Chandigarh to provide financial assistance to victims of dog-bite cases. But what about the children, the elderly and women who are often mauled to death by stray dogs? The present police of the MC of sterilisation of the street dogs has not been able to help reduce dog-bite cases up till now.

SK Khosla, Chandigarh

People feeding strays should be accountable

The administration needs to formulate strategies to improve the current problem of increasing cases of dog-bite. Sterilisation is a long-term plan. People who feed stray dogs should also be held accountable for the unruly behaviour of the dogs. There are many cases where people buy ferocious dog breeds and then abandon them, which makes these dogs aggressive, adding to the dog-bite menace. There needs to be a separate helpline number so that people may report it in case they encounter aggressive stray dogs in certain areas of the city.

Avinash Goyal, Chandigarh

Lack of sanitation increases stray dogs

The main reason for the increase in dog-bite cases as well as an increase in cases where people are affected with deadly diseases is the garbage laying on the streets. Stray dogs bite people, leading to diseases such as rabies. Thus, the administration needs to start vaccinating stray dogs on a large scale. The administration should also focus on the sterilisation of these dogs to control their population.

Charu Malhotra, Mohali

Ban the ownership of ferocious dog breeds

It has now become a status symbol for many people to own a dog of a ferocious breed. The owners of such dogs take them on a walk in the parks without a leash, which may add to cases of dog-bite. The first step that the administration needs to take to prevent an increase in dog-bite cases is that they should ban people from owning all the ferocious dog breeds altogether. There needs to be a heavy fine levied on the owner if their dog bites another citizen.

Sukhwant Bhullar, Chandigarh

MC needs to conduct sterilisation drives

The municipal corporation has failed to tackle the problem of stray dogs in the city. A sterilisation drives need to be carried out in on a large scale to prevent a further increase in dog-bite cases. The sanitation in the city is another problem that may lead to stray dogs gathering around garbage bins in the city. The MC must concentrate on clearing the heaps of garbage and closing all the unlicensed meat shops. Certain areas should be allotted in every locality for the construction of dog-pounds to contain and sterilise stray dogs.

Shruti K Chawla, Chandigarh

Authorities need to take care of strays

Dogs used to friendly towards humans and would not attack anyone under normal circumstances. I believe that the authorities need to start making arrangements for food, water and shelter for these creatures, especially during the winters. If the dogs do not go hungry or thirsty, they will not attack people.

HR Satija, Chandigarh

Build Animal shelters

The MC has failed miserably in tackling the increasing number of dog-bite cases in the city. The authorities should make shelters for stray dogs so that they do not roam around in the city. Every Sector in the tricity is infested with stray dogs. The authorities need to carry out sterilisation and vaccination drives at regular intervals to control a further increase in the population of stray dogs. Overflowing garbage bins are another problem that contributes to the menace, as all the stray dogs rummage through heaps of garbage for food.

Dr Anil Kumar Yadav, Chandigarh

Registration of dogs needed

The authority must make strict rules for registration for pet dogs. The registration number should be put on the neck of all the pet dogs in the city. These dogs should be controlled with rope or iron chains and their mouths should be covered. The authorities should form committees for each ward to solve the problem of increasing number of stray dogs. All the councillors should work towards solving this problem with the help and support of residents on their own level.

Sumesh Kumar Badhwar, Mohali

Ensure availability of anti-rabies vaccine

The UT Administration and Municipal Corporation should take the necessary steps to address the problem of increasing cases of dog-bite in the city. The administration should start sterilising stray dogs and ensure the availability of anti-rabies vaccines in community health care centres. Stray dogs should also be trained, which may eventually prove to be helpful in catching criminals. The authorities should start a 24/7 helpline number to help victims of dog-bites.

Adish Sood, Amloh

Dog owners should be held accountable

The MC needs to make it mandatory for the residents to get their pet dogs registered and to get them vaccinated. Stringent action needs to be taken against any pet owner who violates this rule. The pet owners should be liable to pay compensation if their pet bites another resident in the city.

Savita Kuthiala

Pet owners should become responsible

Animal control units need to be improved to respond promptly to reports of cases of dog-bite in the city. The authorities need to start making effective strategies to manage the increasing population of stray dogs. Vaccination campaigns should be conducted on a large scale to ensure that all the street dogs are immunised against rabies. Above all, residents need to be taught to become responsible pet owners.

Anita K Tandon, Mundi Kharar

MC has proven to be incompetent

Stray dogs are nuisance to society. They litter and defecate anywhere, and they may chase, bite and maul people and young children. Another major issue is that they contribute to noise pollution as they bark in the wee hours. The MC has proven to be incompetent as they have not been successful in carrying out sterilisation drives for these stray dogs. The policy to deal with these stray dogs needs to be changed to allow systematic culling of the stray dogs coupled with their sterilisation because the dogs have immense power to reproduce.

Sanjay Chopra, Mohali

Impound pet dogs in multiple cases

The MC needs to carry out large-scale vaccination and sterilisation drives to curb the stray dog menace in the city. People who feed the stray dogs on a regular basis need to be advised to keep such dogs chained, at least until the afternoon so that domestic help of the residents in the area and the street vendors may not fall victim to these stray dogs. Heavy fines should be imposed on owners of pet dogs in case their pet bites another resident. A pet dogs needs to be impounded in case it is found to have bitten multiple people.

Sharanjit Singh Kallah, Mohali

Establish pound for stray canines

Stray dogs may cause injuries to people, transmit diseases and cause noise pollution, especially at night. On the other hand, they are vulnerable to harsh weather, road accidents and cruelty by humans. The best solution is to establish adequate animal shelters for these dogs. People who are fond of dogs may be permitted to visit and feed them in those shelters.

Maj Gen AK Sharma (retd), Chandigarh

Avoid feeding strays

People should avoid feeding stray dogs near their houses to avoid a growth in the population of strays in their colonies. Stray dogs cause a nuisance to the elderly and children in parks; thus, I believe that the administration needs to start dog-pounds. This will be beneficial for the residents as well as the people who love dogs, as the administration should allow dog-livers to feed the dogs in dog-pounds. All pet dog owners should be held accountable if they take their dogs out for a walk in the absence of a muzzle.

Vidya Sagar Garg, Panchkula

Make strict rules for owners of pet dogs

The administration needs to start large-scale sterilisation campaigns for stray dogs so that their population does not further increase. Another important way to reduce dog-bite cases in the city is to make a rule for pet dog owners to not let their dogs loose in public, because that may cause inconvenience to the general public. Pet owners need to be penalised in case their dog bites another citizen. The administration needs to create dog pounds to keep stray dogs away from residents. Once the majority of dogs are sterilised and dog pounds are built, the menace will end.

Mr Bhateja, Nayagaon

MC should tie up with residents’ associations

The MC should collaborate with the RWAs so that they can create specified feeding spots for the stray dogs. This will enable dog lovers to feed them without causing any problems for the general public. The administration should also work towards providing shelter and healthcare facilities to stray animals. The pet owners in the city need to start taking responsibility for the pets that they bring to their homes. They need to stop abandoning them or allow them to roam freely.

Gurnam Singh Rathore, Chandigarh

Dog registration should be mandatory

There is a need for sterilisation and vaccinations of dogs with the help of NGO’s for animals. People need to stop disturbing stray dogs unnecessarily to avoid being attacked by them. A fine should be imposed on pet owners who unleash dangerous dog breeds on innocent citizens. Residents who feed stray dogs should be held responsible in case those dogs bite another resident. Registration of pet dogs with the administration should be mandatory.

Vijay Malia, Chandigarh