Activists suggest registration of pet dogs to curb stray menace

Animal rights activists and residents’ welfare associations (RWAs) in the city have suggested registration of pet dogs in order to control the rising population of stray dogs in the city. Sanjay Mohapatra, owner of House of Stray Animals, said the RWAs have accepted the idea in principle.

“A major reason behind the rise in stray dog population near posh societies is abandonment of pets. Old, injured or ill-tempered dogs are often abandoned by their owners. People who move to new accommodations also leave their dogs behind. These abandoned dogs start reproducing and add to the stray dog menace,” said Mohapatra, who had also rescued ex-chief engineer Yadav Singh’s dogs.

He said to counter this situation, a specific identification number will be assigned to each dog through the RWA, and a nominal fee will be charged for the registration. “Once registered, the owner can be traced, so the dogs can’t just be abandoned,” he said.

Mohapatra said about 100 cases of dog bites are reported from the city every day. He urged residents to come forward and demand that the Noida authority take measures to control the growth in canine population.

“We will demand more budgetary allocation from the Noida authority for sterilisation, vaccination and rehabilitation of dogs. These things cannot be done on a massive level by private organisations as it needs a lot of money,” he said.

Mohapatra has sterilised more than 1,200 dogs so far and his organisation provides free ambulance for injured or ill dogs.

“A single female dog can give birth to as many as 10,000 puppies in six years. The government must act swiftly,” he said.

He added that meetings are being held with RWAs to mark a certain area in green belts for dog-parks.

“People who want to take their dogs for a walk must carry disposable paper to clean the waste excreted. This will make things easier for morning walkers. We must learn how to own a dog without creating problems for others,” he said.