The residents are now sandwiched between animal rights laws and the Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation (MBMC), which is not doing its job of controlling the population of stray dogs.
Meet 65-year-old Asha Naidu, who's been residing at May Flower residential building in Bhayander for the past nine years, but is distressed about the rising stray dog menace there, especially over the past two years.
She said: "The number of stray dogs has increased by almost six times in two years. There were four dogs in our society two years ago. Today, there are 25."
The residents are now sandwiched between animal rights laws and the Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation (MBMC), which is not doing its job of controlling the population of stray dogs. "My nine-year-old granddaughter particularly is very scared of dogs. Now that there are about 25 of them in our society, she fears going out to play in the premises. Now tell me, who is the housing society for? Humans or the dogs? I am neither an animal lover nor a hater. There needs to be a limit to the number of dogs in a housing society. We cannot support so many of them just because there are a few animal lovers residing in the building. This is not right and needs to be looked into immediately by the officials concerned in the MBMC."
Improper sterilisation
Leena Mehta (42), another resident of May Flower, said: "It is economically not viable for animal lovers like me to sterilise the current number of strays. It costs around Rs3,000 to sterilise one dog. This situation would not have cropped up if the sterilisation centre was run properly by the MBMC."
Stray dogs not being periodically sterilised has created a human-animal-conflict situation in most of the residential societies in Mira-Bhayander.
Dr Jagdish Patil, a veterinarian contracted to the MBMC, gave some suggestions on tackling this issue. "Firstly, at least two more sterilisation centres should be opened as it is not possible to conduct the sterilisation of the current number of dogs. Secondly, the MBMC should fund the centres properly. The current funding is inadequate for carrying out animal birth control," he said.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Stray dog")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}