Street dogs, known in scientific literature as free-ranging urban dogs, are unconfined dogs that live in cities. You can find them in every area where the local human population allows. Why is that? Because of human civilization, they get easier access to food, water, and shelter. How do they come there? They can be abandoned pets, or maybe feral animals that have never been owned. Street dog overpopulation is a big issue in India. No matter where you live, you must have heard of incidents where strays have bitten, scratched, or chased someone. Are these so-called street dogs really dangerous?
Will street dogs harm your pet?
Like other dogs, stray dogs also like to have their own territory and like wolves, they also live in a pack. It is natural that they will not like it when you take your pets out for a walk in an area that they consider theirs. They will bark and might even fight with your pets if you do not take the correct measures. This does not mean that you have to hurt the strays to have a pleasant walk, NO. this means that you have to take precautions and if your dog is not friendly around other animals keep your distance from the street dogs. There have been a lot of cases where pets become best friends with strays, if you give it some time your pets and the street dogs both will get used to each other and might even develop a friendship.
Is it okay to feed the street dogs?
The other dilemma that people face is that if they should feed the street dogs or not. Well, it is certainly not illegal to feed street dogs. Strays have the right to food and citizens have the right to feed them. But people must take care and caution to ensure that it does not cause any harm to others. Feeding strays gives them life, but no one can deny that there have been incidents when the same street dogs terrorize people. What to do in such a case? Is it okay to let them stave on the streets? This is a topic that has multiple opinions. What I think is that in such extreme cases, call the authorities and let them take care of the situation.
What should we do?
What else can be done? We can bring them to shelter homes where they will be provided the best home pet grooming services and the best dog boarding services. The committee of pet lovers can collaborate with NGOs and organize the neutering of these pooches so that their population states under control and they can live peacefully. Strays are definitely friendly and harmless as long as we respect their space and they respect ours.
