It was recently reported that the residents of Agathiyar Nagar formed an army of stray dogs in Chennai who act as Bahadurs to protect them from thieves and burglars. They broke the general perspective of people who think that stray dogs are a nuisance.
However, the residents of Agathiyar Nagar decided to be kind towards them.
How did the residents form an army of strays?
It was noticed that there weren’t any strays in the locality three years back. But Meena Vasudevan a resident of the locality started feeding them and became compassionate towards them.
She said, “There were no dogs here three years back. But one or two came in 2015, and I started feeding them. Slowly, the pack grew, and now we have around five to six stray dogs. We feed them regularly and train them.”
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The residents said that they realized that when the dogs were there, thefts in the area reduced. The decision to call the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) to get the dogs vaccinated and sterilized was made.
Another Chennai resident said, “Many bike parts were stolen in the dead of night. Some men would also consume alcohol in front of our homes, and it was a nuisance. All these issues have stopped since we adopted the strays. We feel a lot safer. And the dogs are extremely friendly, they haven’t harmed anyone.”
It is a well-known fact that the dogs are loyal to the people they associate with. When the residents started feeding them, the dogs developed a bond and a sense of belonging with these humans and are now protective of them.
She also said, “They don’t chase everyone passing by. They only chase those who drive rashly.”
Why we should take care of the strays?
Due to the recent increase in popularity of full breed dogs, more and more street dogs have abandoned pets or have bred with pet breeds.
They often survive by scavenging rubbish, the dogs reduce perishable waste that could otherwise be a source of contamination for people.
There have been incidents where people have tied light-reflecting radium bands around the necks of strays to protect them from road accidents. It was reported that the residents of Noida clothed strays in old clothes to keep them warm last month.
If we take such initiatives on individual and organizational levels, the lives of stray dogs will definitely become easier.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: Indian Express, IndiaTimes, Hindustan Times
Find the Blogger: @NivedytaK
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