Save us from stray dogs

Warangal: The stray dogs menace resurfaced with a 55-year-old Someshwar of Labour Colony bitten by a pack of stray dogs during the late hours of Saturday.

This is third such incident happened in the locality in recent times. The locals, who saw as many as five dogs attacking him, lashed out at the civic body and the district administration for their apathy in taking measures to curb the stray dogs menace in the city.

The government’s stray dogs control programmes are not effective in the city. As many as eight people were bitten by stray dogs in the last few weeks and people were scared to walk on the roads after late hours.

Large number of stray dogs is spotted roaming at several places in the city and also in the surrounding villages.

On February 10, a pack of stray dogs attacked and killed about 28 sheep and injured 12 sheep at Dharmasagar village. Telangana Sheep and Goats Development Cooperative Federation (TSGDCF) Chairman K Rajaiah Yadav visited the village and promised to offer compensation to the owner of the livestock, S Chinna Komuraiah.

The rise of the stray dog menace in the city can be ascertained from the fact that doctors at MGM hospital treated thousands of dog bite victims in last year. The number of dog bite incidents is increasing by each day.

In most of cases, people rush to private hospitals for anti-rabies treatment. Vijaya Lakshmi, a resident of SRR Thota of Warangal city said that stray dogs were posing a threat to human life but the authorities were no taking any action in this regard.

She requested the administration to wake up from its slumber. Fathima, a resident of New Raipura of Hanamkonda lamented that children stopped playing outside afraid of stray dogs.

Responding to the public complaints, Sanitary Inspector Karunakar said the killing of stray dogs was not allowed since cases could be filed against those, who resort to the act due to some legal restrictions on killing of dogs.

The civic body has already started dog sterilisation project to control the growing population of canines in the city, he added. ‘The contract for catching dogs and sterilising them is endorsed to some private people.

As per the contract, the canines are caught, operated upon, fed and then released after due medical care and a proper diet,’ he explained.

Despite their efforts, the government was failed to provide respite to the residents from stray dogs. The government must take stringent actions to curb stray dog menace.