Managing Urban Street Dogs: Beyond the ABC vs. Shelter Debate
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Indian Polity and Governance (Fundamental Duties - Art. 51A(g), Judiciary); Environment (Man-Animal Conflict, Zoonotic Diseases); Health (Rabies); Key Legislations (Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960; Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023).
Mains:
General Studies Paper 2: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health; Important aspects of governance; Role of Urban Local Bodies.
General Studies Paper 3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation.
General Studies Paper 4 (Ethics): Compassion, Ethical treatment of animals, Human-Animal conflict.
Key Highlights from the News
The Supreme Court's changing orders on stray dogs highlight the difficulty in resolving the conflict between compassion for animals and public safety.
The article argues that current Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023 sterilization programs are failing in many cities because they haven't achieved the 70% target, attributing this to administrative neglect.
Building shelters for dogs is a solution. However, the government underestimates the true cost of their operation, leading to their poor condition.
The author calls for a new, modern law to replace the outdated Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.
This new law should clearly categorize dogs as adoptable, to be housed in shelters, or subject to euthanasia.
Measures such as improved waste management and strict penalties for those who abandon pets are also essential for resolving this issue.
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