Have all stray dogs in Bengaluru been sterilised? Have all of them been vaccinated? Officials of Bengaluru’s civic body – the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike- say that since a dog count has not been done, it is impossible to know. Even after three incidents of dog bites recently, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike is yet to swing into action and conduct a stray dog count.
Five persons including two children were bitten by dogs in Rajaji Nagar’s 6th Stage on Thursday. Among them were 14-year-old Akash and 5-year-old Saisiri. While Akash suffered only minor injuries, Saisiri is being nursed at a hospital but thankfully is out of danger.
Others affected included Saisiri’s grandmother, who was on the way to drop her granddaughter off at school, and another woman named Manjula.
Akash, a student of St. Mira School, was walking towards the school when he was bitten by a stray dog. "Few metres outside the school entrance, a dog bit him on the legs and hands. Immediately, the teachers in the school responded and ensured he was given treatment," says his mother, Selvi Krishna.
The incident comes a week after a similar attack on 11-year-old Praveen, a resident of Vibhutipura in the city. The BBMP officials of the Animal Husbandry Department are under the scanner once again over the continued incidents of dog bites in the city.
The Palike’s failure in ensuring that all dogs are vaccinated and sterilised is not only dangerous for the human population but is extremely problematic for the health of dogs as well.
A complaint was filed by the school’s authorities to the BBMP over the issue and a dog catcher was called in to take away four dogs in the area. However, activists say that the BBMP’s laxity in dealing with the issue of Animal Birth Control and the faulty methods applied in identifying the number of stray dogs in the city is the reason for the cases of dog bites.
Activists say that with the recent cases that have been reported, there could be a sense of fear in people, who would then become unsympathetic towards dogs.