The fate of Dhaka’s stray dogs, a fight against apathy

While our pets go to sleep with full bellies and happy hearts, the reality for the dogs and cats roaming the streets of Dhaka remains bleak. It can be argued that a society’s treatment of its non-human beings serves as a reflection of its moral compass. Animals that depend on the kindness of humans depend on the systems we put in place to protect them and the resources we put in place to care for them. Unfortunately, those systems were not enough to keep the streets around Japan Garden City safe for its stray dogs.

Over the past weekend, several dogs were found poisoned to death in the Mohammadpur neighborhood of Japan Garden City, after a long campaign against dogs due to fear of diseases, continuous barking, contamination by excrement and altercations. aggressive. Since then, concerned locals and animal rights activists have gathered at the site demanding that the accused be held accountable, while a worrying number of members of society not only find it within reason, but have also They even left fliers condemning animal lovers..

Systematic apathy towards domestic animals has culminated in aggressive stray animal control methods that prefer poisoning stray animals and perpetrating violence to investing in sustainable humane solutions. The residents of Japan Garden City had a festering grudge against their canine residents, made worse by inadequate stray dog ​​control measures. And as a solution to sacrifice their lost population, they resorted to offering poisoned food. Later, the streets were found strewn with corpses of all the animals that consumed it, both dogs and cats.

While some of their concerns remain valid, many seem unfounded. Instead, the residents harassed the animal enthusiasts, who were feeding the stray dogs, and the NGOs were prohibited from entering the gate of the apartment complex to properly care for the animals. Although the animals were neutered and vaccinated, they could not escape the cruelty that befell them. The lack of awareness in our society when interacting with stray dogs exacerbates the problem of fear and aggression. Educating our public to never chase or run away from dogs accustomed to violence may seem trivial, but that knowledge could mean the difference between life and death.

However, concerns about noise pollution, attacks on residents and children, as well as discomfort due to the accumulation of their excrement, are quite well founded. But resorting to murder instead of implementing reproductive sterilization, adoption, feeding programs, or any number of ethical solutions is inexplicably immoral, if not illegal. Although laws, such as Animal Welfare Act 2019ban the same situation we are witnessing now, the perpetrators go unpunished due to lack of law enforcement and prosecution. This allows some people to continue to prefer ruthless solutions over empathetic ones. On the other hand, our society continues to resist collaborating with volunteers from social welfare organizations. In fact, the very reliance on nonprofit social welfare organizations is a clear indicator of systemic failure. Why should the responsibility fall entirely on the shoulders of those who care?

When laws designed to protect these animals are not properly enforced and the justice system’s responses to such incidents are slow, society’s indifference toward these situations is compounded. Most consider these matters inconsequential and prefer to ignore such atrocities. Such was the case when Dhaka South City Corporation took a drastic measure: sedating and relocating dogs in trucks just to throw them in the Matuail landfillpreferring once again to discard stray animals rather than implement sustainable measures. A simple meal is often all it takes to keep stray canines from despairing, and a collaborative effort, such as subsidized sterilization and vaccination, can ensure their populations remain contained and docile.

An impartial investigation of the incident is the first step toward reform. Only when we hold our city corporations accountable for their responsibilities can we expect change to take root. Only when we continue to do our duty in the face of injustice can we hope to make our city livable for all who live in it.

Animal activists have done their duty time and time again, with and without the help of those in power. Now, in a new dawn in Bangladesh, how much longer can the issue of animal cruelty remain an afterthought? Our society has failed to value life and a change in public perception is long overdue. It is not in our hands to learn to live better, to respect all of life.

The innocence of the dogs of Japan Garden City is not lost on us. Lack of effective control of stray animals is prevalent in every corner of Dhaka. The situation is worsening with the violent tendencies of a society that struggles to value animals who have nowhere else to be. How many naive colleagues must we lose before we, as well as our social systems, laws and authorities, do what needs to be done?

Faiza Adil He is a final year student at Monash University in Australia.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.

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