Canine
Menace In Urban India
There has always been witnessed a spurt in the population of
stray dogs in streets of the ever-increasingly populous cities. In earlier times, a lot of open uninhabited land was available for the population of dogs, so they were not thought to be a problem due to their sparse habitation. After a boom in human population, open areas within the city have been replaced by a cluster of colonies, so naturally the free space that used to be available to dogs is now limited to the narrow streets, roads and parks.
As dogs are always out looking for prospective mates for copulation, their reproduction rate is alarmingly high. Each gravid bitch contributes to enormous population with approximately one dozen puppies in its litter. The multitude of stray dogs in residential areas and on roads presents a lot of troubles to passers-by. Sometimes a running dog, traversing across a busy road, appears in front of a speeding vehicle and becomes a cause of the serious accident.
Cases of dog-bites are increasingly coming to light these days. It is heart rending when one scans through the news-paper with the morning cup of tea, only to read the news of a hapless hydrophobic patient on the verge of sure death.
Victims are generally poor children who easily become target of mad dogs. Some orthodox and illiterate people, living in remote villages, take the victims of dog-bite to some rogue exorcists for getting magical cure. When the anti-
rabies vaccines are not administered in time, the patient becomes a victim of fatal rabies. Need of the hour is that such illiterate people are made aware of the fact that in case of the bite by a mad dog, prevention of rabies is possible only by
vaccination. Once the symptoms of hydrophobia show up, no curative treatment is so far possible. This education can better be imparted by the media of radio and TV. NGOs should also actively get in this good work. Not every
Dog-bite does cause the disease; only the rabid dog can carry the disease causing virus.
According to a report of WHO, 30-50% victims of rabies are children. A number of poor patients are unable to bear the expensive treatment comprising five periodical vaccination, costing Rs.1500/- at private clinics. In order to curb menace of dogs for making city-life better, suitable measures like sterilization or vaccination should be done in addition to the regular dog-catching drives which should transport the stray city dogs to far off jungles.
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