An animal protection body today asked the government to implement Supreme Court directive on vaccination and sterilisation of streets dogs to help create better environment for them.
Noting that stray dogs in India suffer repeated abuse as communities affected by the threat of rabies continue to fear them, World Animal Protection sought government's intervention to implement this directive by providing direction and necessary resources to the relevant authorities.
It said the Supreme Court had issued a directive in March on vaccination and sterilisation of stray dogs.
"Killing dogs isn't a sustainable or humane solution to end rabies - vaccination and sterilisation is the only proven, effective and humane way to move forward. Through our campaign, we want to lead the way to end the unnecessary deaths of millions of dogs, every year.
"Dogslike all animalshave a right to live without suffering. The elimination of rabies is within our grasp and we are hopeful that both government and communities, will step up and share the responsibility to make mass dog vaccination and sterilisation a reality and save animal and peoples lives," said Gajender K Sharma, Country Director at World Animal Protection India.
The body said globally there are around 700 million dogs and many of these are roaming free, often unwanted, unhealthy and unvaccinated.
It claimed nearly 10 million dogs are killed inhumanely every year, primarily in a misguided attempt to eradicate rabies.
"Brutal methods are employed, like beating, poisoning, electrocuting, shooting, to get rid of this so-called threat to society. A rabies-free nation doesnt mean a nation without dogs," it said.
Noting that its understandable that communities are fearful of rabies, the body said that it is a deadly disease and up to 99 per cent of human cases are transmitted through dogs.
"World Animal Protection is also urging the communities to act for better lives for dogs through responsible pet ownership, and learning how to have safer interactions with stray dogs," it said.
