After the outbreak of Coronavirus in India seventeen civic bodies came out with false information that animals and pets spread Corona virus
When civic bodies like the BMC (Bombay Municipal Corporation) come out with such information people blindly trust them and they are right to do it because one has full faith in its government machinery.
But the news was absolutely false and baseless. The WHO has made it very clear that pets and animals do not spread the virus. It is a disease which spreads through human to human contact, that too via infected man's droplet.
A famous Bollywood actor John Abraham who is an animal right activist and a dog lover himself wrote to the BMC to remove the hoardings immediately which gave this misleading information.
Various organizations like the AWBI (Animal Welfare Board of India) and NGOs like PFA and FIAPO also wrote letters to them asking them to remove such misleading hoardings.
According to PETA already many people abandoned their dogs and cats and many unnecessarily got their pets.vacccinated.
What about the trauma which the animals have faced because of corporation's negligence? The health officers of the corporation who are responsible for bringing up such posters and hoardings will they be punished for their irresponsible behaviour?
Many abandoned pets are still trying to find their way back home .The people responsible for their plight shouldn't they be punished?
Reports about dog abandonment is coming from other cities of India too including Delhi. The common man is still quite confused
While giving out instructions to the general public about coronavirus shouldnt our chief ministers and the health ministers both at the centre and the state mention just a line about animals. That animals cannot infect humans with Coronavirus. Wish the prime Minister of India too had mentioned this vital piece of information during his address to the nation. Many street animals like dogs, cows and cats depend on people for their food and water. As many cities and towns are being lockdown due to corona virus the caregivers have already started becoming worried for animals. How will they survive without food and water
Has this idea occurred to the corporations or health officials?
There are lots of street animals in India and also few pet animals. Rumours like these create havoc on these voiceless souls and their caregivers. They are already struggling for food and water. After such hoardings they have to fight for their life.
Anyway the good thing is the BMC has apologized and removed the misleading hoardings.
This is one lesson which can be learnt by the EDMC too.They should also remove the misleading rabies awareness hoardings which has only created havoc both for the dogs and their caregivers.
Will they do it? Let's wait and watch
India has famous actors like John Abraham and business tycoons like Ratan Tata who are dog lovers and at their level are doing everything possible to make the lives of stray dogs better.
But what is lacking is the will of the government machinery to make the lives of stray dogs better.
For Indian celebrities like John Abraham and Ratan Tata, people of animal welfare NGOs and the caregivers, dogs are their best freind. For some they are like their kids and a part of their family.
This is where the municipal corporation fails the dogs. For them dogs are an animal and an animal which can infect people with rabies. And now even corona.
While the government machinery in India in the area of animal welfare is quite weak and apathetic towards dogs, india has a strong animal welfare NGOs like PFA, PETA, FIAPO and brave caregivers.
Had it not been them and celebrities like John Abraham and Ratan Tata the municipal corporations who are officially the guardians of stray dogs due to their faulty policies and misleading hoardings would have made we humans abandon and kill the street animals long back.
One needs to reason out that with such guardians are the street dogs safe in India?
Is it not time that they mend their ways and bring reform in their working?