City Pulse

Despite culling of stray dogs being a punishable offence, Bangalore has witnessed several cases of the municipal corporation illegally transporting dogs with the intention of culling them. Scores of dogs are rounded up in vans by illegally assigned contractors. They allegedly cull dogs ruthlessly after taking them to isolated areas. Most citizens assume the dogs are being taken as part of the animal birth control drive but the strays are never brought back.

A similar case of illegal culling was reported in Hoskote on March 30^th. Several residents and activists reported dogs missing from around their homes. They reportedly stopped a mini truck that was being used to transport some of the dogs who directed the citizens to the civic authorities from Hoskote. Around 25 stray dogs were rescued and released following this. The exact number of dogs culled is still unknown.  

More than a week after the culling was first reported, no action has been taken yet by the police while the residents who filed the FIR have chosen to remain silent, fearing flak from the municipality.

Most of such cases have been reported around Hoskote and Hoodi. Cases of stray dog poisoning were reported from various localities in Goripalya, in January.

Violence against stray dogs isn’t new in these areas. Animal rights activist Anurag Varma from Voice of the Stray Dogs stated that the municipal corporation illegally carries out the drive because culling is cheaper than spaying the animals.  Short-term contracts are given to untrained people who either relocate the animal to forests or kill them at isolated areas. Since there is no census of the stray animals it is difficult to assess their population or atrocities against them, Varma adds.

Ravi Narayanan who is a part of Action for Animal Justice stated that culling of stray dogs or relocation is done with the intention of saving money on Animal Birth Control.

Culling is an extremely unscientific method to control stray dog population. One can elicit examples from several developing countries, wherein widespread culling was practiced but it eventually backfired as the population continued to multiply and so did cases of rabies infection.

The issue of stray dogs and their conflict with humans needs to be looked at closely to understand the real underlying causes. A deepened understanding of what triggers violent behavior of dogs is the need of the hour before we jump to getting rid of them inhumanely, entirely denying them a right to live.