Choose action, not activism.

• The news is flooded with dog-bite related incidents, about children getting attacked or being mauled to death by packs of stray dogs.
• An increasing number of research articles and innumerable visual accounts show critical wildlife species under serious threat, losing their lives and safe habitats due to free-ranging dogs.
• Every other day ones hears appalling incidents about cruelty met out to stray dogs. They're beaten to death and killed, and the hands that feed them are met with never-ending shuns and threats by RWAs or people who are against living around stray dogs in their immediate surroundings. 

Let’s get one thing straight before I write on. Is this an anti-stray-dog article? No. Personally, I love dogs. I’ve had a close relationship with stray dogs ever since I was 8 years old. I adopted my first dog, Toffee, off-the-streets at the age of 16 (and she lived with me until she was 16!) and have provided aid to thousands of dogs for more than 15 years now. Just like any other person who loves animals, my heart breaks every time I hear about a dog being beaten to death. But unlike most of us, I’ve dug deep over the years to uncover the truth about how dogs have become the ‘persecuted’ and why the challenges they face have only escalated over the years. 

You may have been led into misguided compassion without even knowing it. Truth be told, not so long ago, I was too. The problem lies within a set of prominent figures and organizations in the animal welfare sector having vested interests in ‘keeping street dogs on the street’ for gains which are invisible to the misguided dog lover’s eye. The pack of lies and false sense of support being provided to them misleads people into making poor choices for themselves and for the animals they want to provide care for. I write this article to urge individuals who are caring for unowned animals, to question things beyond what you are commonly told, to see the bigger picture beyond what meets your eye, and if your resolve is to really protect animals - choose proactive action, not reactive activism. 

There is a ton of recorded evidence that highlights the canine conundrum that we are facing today. How did we get here? To begin with, let's just say we are all being fed a pack of lies. If someone asks you to believe the below mentioned lies, it’s time for you to wake up and question them. 

No. 1: The ABC (Animal Birth Control) program is the one and only ultimate solution to solving India’s street dog population problem. 

No. 2: If a dog is sterilized, vaccinated, and well-fed, it will not attack humans or other animals. 

No. 3: All stray dogs and stray dog feeders are completely protected by our laws and the guidelines provided by statutory bodies. 

No. 1: The ABC (Animal Birth Control) program is the one and only ultimate solution to solving India’s street dog population problem.

Simply put, the ABC (Animal Birth Control) program can ONLY be successful if the geographical features of the target area support the capture and surgery of ‘every single dog’ (at least every single female dog) that is free roaming. So, unless you’re living on an island or the target area is surrounded by geographical features which prevent migration of free-ranging dogs on minimum 3 sides, no matter how many dogs you sterilize - the ABC program in isolation will NOT work. You may see temporary changes, but in the long term, you’re going to witness increasing street dog populations again. This is not just an arbitrary statement or a personal opinion I air; it is scientifically proven and you’re free to use this modelling software developed by renowned scientists to help you better understand that. In addition to that, the semi-owned non-sterilized ones that are free-roaming or get abandoned, will always be there to jump back in and kick-start the population rise. So, without an added layer of strict implementation in regulating pet ownership, we are set-up for failure. 

No. 2: If a dog is sterilized, vaccinated, and well-fed, it will not attack humans or other animals. 

Anyone stating this, is either completely misinformed or has never really gotten down on the streets to sufficiently understand street animal behaviour. What’s true is that if a dog is sterilized, it’s definitely not reproducing puppies and adding to the stray dog population. If a dog is vaccinated against Rabies, that too annually, it is then less likely to spread the disease. If a dog is well-fed, it will not remain hungry. But none of these three interventions will result in any proven behavioral change with respect to altering a dog’s innate instinct to attack or hunt a smaller living creature or one that it perceives it can take down if they’re a part of a strong pack. Ask yourself this – do you think it’s possible for a sterilized, vaccinated, and well-fed dog to chase or attack a domestic free-ranging cat when it spots one? If your answer is generically a ‘yes’, please know that every other living creature that a dog believes it can chase or hunt, is fair game - and that includes a small child or a wild animal. 

No. 3: All stray dogs and stray dog feeders are completely protected by our laws and the guidelines provided by statutory bodies.

Have the crimes against stray dogs increased or decreased with time? If you are a stray animal feeder, has your attempt to apprise naysayers about the laws and guidelines protecting stray dogs reduced the daily banter and agitation that you face when you are feeding street animals? Has anyone you know been completely relieved or felt that they’ve successfully protected the future of street animals by solely relying on them? I can quote more than one law that talks about your fundamental duty as an Indian citizen to protect your environment and have compassion for animals and laws that protect animals, streets animals included but whereas guidelines from statutory bodies are concerned, a lot of them can be challenged in our courts (and have been already) as being against what the Indian law actually states.

What’s my point? Article 51A (g) states "It shall be the duty of every citizen of India to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife, and to have compassion for living creatures." As commonly quoted and interpreted in Animal Welfare Board of India v. A. Nagaraja & Ors. (2014), compassion for all living creatures includes concern for their suffering and well-being. In the case, you must note that the Supreme Court regarded 51A (g) alongside the duty to develop scientific temperament under 51A (h) as the magna carta of animal rights jurisprudence in India. Our laws exist to prevent to cruelty to animals, and the redressal as a result of their violations are extremely weak currently. Our laws should not be used to incite people and agitate them into causing cruelty to animals or humans in the grander scheme of things. You are free to quote them, but quote them with prudence. 

Additionally, have the prudence to recognize when prominent figures and organizations in the animal welfare sector are choosing armchair activism and merely driving their agendas through YOU. I urge you to question why the Animal Birth Control program is the ONLY solution put forth in every city or area facing a stray dog challenge without any consideration of other factors affecting its success or pushing other globally recommended solutions that require to be implemented with it in tandem. When was the last time you heard these entities push for ‘pet registration’ to regulate responsible pet ownership which is a critical part of the Dog Population Management program? I urge you to check who gains most from these programs being implemented as the singular solution to all our problems or who benefits the most when they fail? I urge you to reflect if your local situation has actually improved or worsened after picking the battle of ‘animals rights versus human rights’ within your community.  

An article in the Telegraph ‘Are India’s stray dog days finally over?’ speaks about the gruesome attacks and growing disease threats beckoning a day of reckoning for the country’s 60 million free-ranging dogs. Is that what we’re inching towards and if yes, what’s going to happen ahead to the millions of dogs in India – cruelty or welfare? The truth is, our actions today can still help shape the future for them. It’s still not too late. 

If you really want to perform your fundamental duties and care for animals, and if you believe that the ultimate goal should be to have ‘no more homeless animals on our streets’, ask yourself if you’re willing to adopt the narrative below:

“Dogs are incredible companion animals – the ones that live on the street are there out of fate, not choice. Thus, the ultimate goal should be to have no homeless animals on Indian streets because every dog should have a home or a suitable lifetime care shelter to provide it all the freedoms of animal welfare. Animal welfare is incomplete for dogs on the streets as they remain unprotected from accidents, infections, or human-inflicted cruelty incidents. It is not unusual for dogs, especially ones that are free roaming in packs, to have their natural instinct surface and result in chasing or hunting incidents. I understand and accept that people in my local community may be from diverse backgrounds having different life experiences, and thus all may not be tolerant to having stray dogs around them or able to react appropriately if they are afraid of dogs. I am unable to take every dog inside my home, the same way that all homeless people in our country cannot be taken into our homes when we feel bad for them and currently, there are not enough lifetime care shelters to accommodate all the dogs on our street. I may not be able to control the population of the entire city or towns’ street dogs, but I can actively help reduce the dog population on our own street. Since I am willing to interact with street dogs confidently, I would like to responsibly help and work on a focused solution to ensure the health and safety of all the humans and animals present in the area we live in, and I have a plan for that which I believe will work. All I need is a little bit of help connecting with my local community to explain my plan to them and to request for their patience and support to control resources in the area - especially the ones that drive dog populations.”  

I had a plan in 2009 when I moved to my current neighborhood in Pune. I began with 6 dogs on the street and persuasively roped in 20 buildings around mine to support my efforts. I convinced them of my plan, and I took responsibility. Only one dog was adopted in a home, and over the years the numbers reduced. By mid-2018, when the last dog passed away, my 60-year-old neighbor, who didn’t like dogs very much, commented, “Are we getting any new street dogs now, there are none left.” I said, “Why, no!! We’ve worked so hard to make our street free of homeless animals.” She sounded like she almost wanted a new one. It’s been almost 4 years now; we still don’t have any new stray dogs settling in our lane where the previous lot was and the reason for that is - there always was an active focused ‘plan’.

What is this plan? I’m happy to share my experience with you if you can convince me that you genuinely believe in the narrative mentioned above. It’s self-driven, needs one to balance passion and practicality, and requires absolute focus and commitment. In today’s times, it’s responsible action that is needed, not a sense of entitlement to engage in activism and protests. If each of us chooses proactive action over reactive activism, it’s not too late to make a difference and change things around our local communities. Imagine if each one of us did it, ‘sahjeevan’ could be a reality.