While there is no dearth of dog-lovers in the city, there is a great preference for exquisite breeds. Those who have adopted stray dogs, however, will vouch for their loyalty and affection.
“There is no difference between a stray dog and a pedigreed one. Stray dogs are just as affectionate. They are also easier to maintain, and better adapted to local conditions. Awareness should be created about what good pets the stray dogs make. For people in the cities, owning an exquisite breed is also something that becomes an issue of prestige. That is why more people would rather go for exquisite breeds than more easily available mongrels. However, if someone has a specific purpose in mind in adopting a dog, if one is looking for a dog with good guarding qualities, for instance, it’s true that some breeds may be better than others,” says Yashodhara of Yashbans Kennels, who has adopted 28 stray dogs.
Dr BC Ramakrishna, president, Karuna Animal Welfare Association, giving a picture of the enormity of the stray dog problem, says, “There are 35 lakh families within the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) area. It is estimated that there are 2.2 lakh stray dogs in that area.”
“Most people are willing to pay huge sums of money for dogs of certain breeds. When it comes to strays, people will only take puppies. The adult dogs are just left on the streets,” says trustee and treasurer of Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA), Sandhya Maddappa.
While the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme of the BBMP in association with NGOs has found some success in containing the proliferation rates of dogs, it has also been largely restricted to the areas that fall within the limits of the BBMP.
In the rural areas, the birth rate of stray dogs remains unchecked. Bagalur, where one-year-old Prashanto, son of poor brick kiln workers, was mauled to death by dogs on Wednesday, falls outside the limits of the BBMP.
Ever since the ABC programme was started, the number of strays dogs has shrunk.
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