Street dog menace on the rise

There is an escalation of street dog menace in many parts of Bangalore as the breeding season (January to June) has begun. Consequently, there has been a spurt in complaints about dog nuisance.

Vijay Kumar, Manager, BBMP-CUPA Animal Birth Control (ABC) Centre, said: "We get complaints from residents about incessant dog barking and requests for the sterilization of dogs. In case of emergency, we take action on the same day; if not at the earliest by next day. The dog population has definitely come down of late and there is no need for concern."  Bruhat Bangalore Mahangara Palike (BBMP) has divided ward numbers into packages starting from 1 to 10. Areas like Kammanahalli, Maruthi Seva Nagar, HBR Layout, Kacharakanahalli and other surrounding areas near Banaswadi belong to Package No. 8.
However, there are a few residents who say that the very sight of dogs gives them jitters. Ruhi Nigar, one of the residents staying in OMBR Layout, said: "Every alternate lane here has around five dogs. I have not been a victim of dog bite till date, but then sometimes it is scary when a stray dog follows me while passing by the road. Children and elderly people should be careful while walking in this area."
Pushpa Das, another resident of HBR Layout, said: "Dogs usually don't harm, but children and a few elders who don't have dogs as pets do get scared. Last year my husband was bitten by a dog."
Nagraj, Veterinary Inspector for East Zone, said: "Dogs are harmless creatures; nevertheless if provoked they prove to be dangerous and may bite you. So, I advise people not to hurt them. People who are facing any kind of trouble from dogs can always contact CUPA ABC Centre-22947302 and give the officials important information like the location and the dog which is creating nuisance."
Every Wednesday, the volunteers do rounds in each ward and take action in case non-sterilized dogs are spotted. Once the dogs are sterilized, they are kept under observation for four days prior to releasing and vaccinating them. Besides this, BBMP-CUPA's Anti Rabies Re-vaccination (ARV) and Animal Birth Control (ABC) programmes are also carried out regularly in various wards with the help of two teams.
"For the past four months, we have not received any complaint from the residents in Banaswadi about dog bite. If we receive complaints, then we pick up those particular dogs that bite and put them under observation for 15 days to know the underlying cause. Not all the dogs bite. Some resort to biting only when provoked or when they are either frustrated or badly injured. Sometimes, children throw stones at dogs and tease them, which should strictly be avoided," added Vijay.

The day of action
Every Wednesday, the volunteers do rounds in each ward and take action when they spot non-sterilized dogs. Once the dogs are sterilized, they are kept under observation for four days prior to vaccinating and releasing them.

--CITYPLUS NEWSDESK