January 03, 2024
Out in The Week, an article features OHT’s Dr. Ramanan Laxminarayan’s commentary on the growing stray dog menace in India, primarily due to the lack of effective sterilization programs in the country.
As per the data released by the Indian government’s Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, the number of dog bites reported in the country has surged sharply in the last three years.
Moreover, according to the World Health Organization, India accounts for more than one-third of the world’s rabies deaths, with 18,000 to 20,000 people dying every year.
“India’s laws have made it difficult to control the stray dog population and ensure that all dogs are vaccinated…I would suggest a national drive to spay and neuter all stray dogs of reproductive age, vaccinate them against rabies and other diseases, and allow for animal control to remove dogs that bite people…It’s possible to have laws that balance animal rights and human rights, and the current laws serve neither dogs nor humans,” says Dr. Laxminarayan.
Find the article here.
