STREET LIFE: India’s newfound respect for the country’s millions of free-roaming canines
India’s streets are home to roughly 35 million dogs, a number that’s grown by 17 percent since 2016. The majority live tough lives, scavenging for food among garbage.
DEEPA LAKSHMIN: India’s streets are home to roughly 35 million dogs, a number that’s grown by 17 percent since 2016. The majority live tough lives, scavenging for food among garbage and possibly spreading diseases. Most are native Indian breeds, like the South Asian pariah dog or Rajapalayam hound, so they’re often called “indie” dogs— a kinder term used by many animal advocates instead of “stray” or “street.”
It’s impossible to go anywhere in Bengaluru, formerly known as Bangalore, without spotting roadside indies. In 2012, there were over 200,000 dogs on Karnataka’s urban streets. According to a recent census by the local government — the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, or BBMP — it’s now soaring past 300,000. Residents mostly tolerate the animals, but they do pose some risk to humans as potential carriers of rabies…
But there’s also a movement among Bengalureans to treat the animals with more respect, which is why more and more are adopting or fostering indies. Sudha Narayanan, who’s spent three decades fighting for animal rights, has witnessed this evolution, which coincides with a growing popularity in owning dogs. As founder of Charlie’s Animal Rescue Centre, Narayanan’s helped nearly 3,000 street animals find their forever homes over the past seven years, with rates steadily rising.
She credits this cultural shift to increased awareness of animal welfare fueled by international travel and nonprofit campaigns. “The younger generation is a kind generation… They know, they read, Google search, everything,” Narayanan says. “They don’t want to be seen as someone who’s an animal hater”… During the nationwide lockdown to stop the spread of coronavirus, for instance, dog advocates in Bengaluru are venturing outside to feed stray dogs…
Charlie’s Animal Rescue Centre on a bright Tuesday afternoon. Founded by Narayanan in 2013, the inpatient facility exclusively treats sick and injured street animals: indie dogs, cats, chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs, actual pigs, ducks, and even pigeons that can’t fly properly. Charlie himself was an indie who lost a leg in an accident and, once recovered, spent about nine years helping children on the autism spectrum with animal-assisted therapy.
The medical unit includes an operating room for two, a blood analyzer to diagnose rescues straight off the ambulance, plus x-ray and ultrasound equipment—all donated, Narayanan says. There’s limited funding for animal welfare in India, so money is often a worry for shelters. “Anyone comes I say… give me something for the dogs,” she half-jokes, admitting she “shamelessly” begs for resources…
Some dogs live out their days under the care of her 34 full-time staff and hundreds of volunteers; others are put up for adoption. At first, one or two indies were adopted per month, she says, but now it’s 10 to 15…Widespread spaying and neutering of street dogs is a solution most activists agree on. The municipal government has good intentions, volunteer Nandita Subbarao says over the phone, but it’s not enough.
Some city zones—specifically in the outskirts, where much of the construction is happening—don’t have any animal birth control providers, so dogs keep having litter after litter. Unless every corner of the city is taken care of, the population will continue to explode… To combat this, Subbarao and other dog advocates spread awareness and education to the general public, teaching them to view indies with compassion instead of fear. SOURCE…
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