Facing Dogs

Srinagarites are feeling insecure with 100,000 stray and uncared dogs loose in the city

Dog Scare Forces Musalees to Walk in Groups, With Lathis

M. Hyderi (Greater Kashmir)

Srinagar: Parvaiz Khan, Bilal Khan, Farooq Ahmed and engineer Arjumand –neighbors in Barbarshah locality make it a point that they go to Masjid for Tarawi and Fajr prayers together. Also, they don’t forget carrying a stick or two along. This is their latest strategy to keep the stray dogs away, in the City, which has an alarming population of over one lakh and growing canines while humans find it difficult to walk alone, particularly in the dark.

THE LATHI FACTOR

Given the recent reports of surge in stray dog attacks on humans coupled with government’s failure to check it, Musalees in this Muslim majority capital find it inconvenient to go to Masjid for Tarawih and Fajr prayers. Helpless to keep the canines away, many like the Barbarshah friends have evolved the strategy of walking in group but not without the primitive tool of self-defence: the Lathi.

Carrying Lathi along has evolved as a preferred way of protection from the stray dogs, dozens of whom can be seen prowling at almost every nook and corner of Srinagar.

“Given the huge number of dogs in our area, we prefer to walk in groups alone,” said Arshad Khan of Soura.

He said given the big number of dogs in the area, one couldn’t dare to walk alone even if he carries a stick along.

“What can a person alone do if 20-30 dogs come to attack him? And what about children for that matter?” he argued.

ALL NOT LUCKY

While some have been taking preventive measures, many others weren’t lucky.

Residents of Hawal and adjoining Nowhatta said in the past few days many people were bitten by the canines while venturing out of their houses.

Pertinently the dog attacks have been on surge for the past few months while in a latest the canines ate away nose of a young girl in Bemina. The doctors, as per the locals, have advised her to go for plastic surgery. Last month a mother was bitted by canines at Rajbagh when she tried to save her child from them.

Incidents like these aren’t rare. As per medicos, 10 to 20 dog bites cases are reported almost everyday.

THE CONCERN FOR DOGS

Pertinently despite huge public agitation that dogs be eliminated, the National Conference led government seemingly remained more concerned towards the canines pleading that their sterilization, a Rs multi crore time consuming project, was the only viable solution to the problem.

Not a single dog was reportedly killed by any government organization, particularly the Srinagar Municipal Corporation, even though this year alone, at-least three persons including a 10-year-old Shahr-e-Khaas boy died of the canine attacks.

THE HIGH COURT INTERVENTION

Pertinently some three months back, an NGO moved court seeking end to dog menace.

While the petitioner Advocate Nadeem Qadri pleaded that “humans need a respite from dog menace,” prominent lawyer Mir Syed Lateef while fighting on behalf of “dog lovers” insisted that the stray packs couldn’t be killed.

The state High Court bench headed by Chief Justice Ibraheem Kalifullah directed the state to establish dog ponds on the outskirts of the City. The dogs were to be collected from the entire City and put to the pond, for sterilization. But till now the ponds are nowhere. Officials said they have started work on one in Ganderbal district.

Interestingly on the day of hearing, Chief Justice had posed a million dollar question at the full courtroom: “Will a dog stop biting once sterilized?”