Unlike other countries in the world India has a huge population of animals who live within the human habitat. These include dogs, cats, monkeys, cows buffaloes, goats, hens horses, donkeys...
The number of larger animals like horses and donkeys are less and they do not live in residential colonies. Hence, their food requirement can still be monitored during lockdown. The problem is with the smaller animals like cats, dogs and cattle which are being very badly impacted due to lockdown.
Incidents are being reported from Delhi (Coronation park, near Model Town) that dogs have started fighting with each other. A dog was also seen eating the flesh of a dead dog.
What people are failing to realize is that if the community animals are not given food the whole city will soon be filled with dead carcasses of animals. That might lead to another kind of epidemic .
Also dogs living in human habitat are very friendly and do not bite without provocation but if they are left without food for a long time then very soon they might start attacking humans for food.
The animal welfare NGOs like Friendicoes has already started feeding the dogs who are living near hostels, metro stations and stadiums. As their caregivers are unable to come so they are feeding those dogs. They are trying to cover the South Delhi area as much as possible This has been reported by Geeta Seshmani who is the Vice President of Friendicoes
Apart from that the individual caregivers in their individual capacities have also started feeding the dogs not only within their colony but also places which are distant and there is no availability of food for the dogs.
Recently the Price Minister of the India made a public appeal to feed the animals in and around their areas. The caregivers welcomed this gesture of the Prime Minister and have already started doing it.
But the lack of coordination between the state governments, central government and the police are making the life of the dogs and the caregiver a hell. The incidents of harassment and cruelty has only increased during the lockdown. The resistance from a common man and the RWA has only become stronger.
Let's see how the govt machinery is again failing the caregivers and the man's best friend.
The AWBI and the Ministry of Animal Husbandry and Dairying had issued three very vital letters to all the states and union territories. The highlights of the letters are as follows:
Letter 1
'The AWBI had asked all the states and UT to make the public aware that dogs, cats and animals do not spread Corona virus. .Except the state of Jammu no other state including Delhi has made any such awareness.
Result: Already people were scared of dogs due to rabies and now they think that the dogs are spreading Corona virus. Residents are now even opposing the pet owners to take the dogs for a walk in parks and open spaces. RWAs are harassing the caregivers and stopping them from feeding the dogs in their area.
Letter 2
The AWBI had made feeding animals as an essential service during the period of lockdown. The home ministry has issued guidelines for taking measures during lockdown to all the states and UT of India but it doesn't speak anything about the feeding of community animals as an essential service.
Result: Due to sheer ignorance about this the police are stopping the caregivers from commuting and in many parts of India the caregivers have not been issued any pass. PFA with the helphof Delhi police was the first to issue the passes for feeding. Thereafter, the Delhi govt has also started issuing the passes. The move is good but the heading of the pass says ''Animal Fodder'. Now dogs do not eat fodder. They eat what humans eat so the only problem is that the caregivers should not be harassed by the police if a caregiver is carrying bread, rice milk etc instead of fodder. The pass should mention Animal feed and not Animal fodder
Letter 3
The Ministry of Animal Husbandry and Dairying had informed all the states that veterinary hospitals and clinics shall remain open during lockdown. The same was included by the Home Ministry in it's guidelines but in Delhi itself the veterinary services are hardly operational. We saw how Dr Gautam Unni ( M-9810053451) a veterinary doctor in East Delhi was harassed by the RWA and asked to shut down his clinic. In spite of his police complaint no action has been taken by the police against the RWA members and his clinic is still shut.
Result: Many dogs and cats needing emergency services are being refused help. They are being forced to die and their caregivers and owners are absolutely helpless. The ambulances for animals are generally run by private individuals but because of having no pass their movement is being restricted by the police.
For full guidelines issued by the Home Ministry kindly go to the following link:
https://mha.gov.in/sites/default/files/PR_ConsolidatedGuidelinesofMHA_28032020.pdf
Many incidents of cruelty are happening post lockdown. While the caregivers are doing an essential service their service as usual are neither being acknowledged nor appreciated.
Read this article to know about the atrocities the caregivers are facing post lockdown:
These are some of the videos which have gone viral and shows how the life of caregivers and their furry friends has worsened during lockdown:
A man beating a dog
https://www.facebook.com/groups/355493465008889/permalink/645086729382893/
A lady beating a pup
https://www.facebook.com/groups/355493465008889/permalink/643149356243297/
Residents fighting with the caregiver for feeding the dogs. The caregiver is wearing a mask whereas the opposer is neither wearing the mask nor following the norms of social distancing.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/355493465008889/permalink/643290929562473/
Acid thrown on a dog
https://www.facebook.com/groups/355493465008889/permalink/643475589544007/
Corona virus pandemic should have made we humans more humble and humane but ...........
Are we humans??????