Indore: With lockdown and people staying at home, we imagine animals roaming free and enjoying on the roads, but that’s not the case as the number of accidents of stray dogs is rising in Indore.
About 7 such cases, which are major and require emergency treatment, are reported every day. Many other minor accidents, where dogs start limping and hide are not easily reported.
With a limited source of food as there are no leftovers to feast on, the dogs are already suffering from weakness and even getting into fights for the tit-bits given by some families. With rash driving and accidents, many of them will lose their lives as it is difficult to recover without nutrition.
Worried by the rising number of cases, State Coordinator at MP Police Assistance Centre against Animal Cruelties Priyanshu Jain said, “There are more severe accidents reported now in case of stray dog injuries as people are racing on empty roads without a care in the world.” She added that if not controlled, rash driving could also result in serious accidents resulting in loss of human life as well.
“We have received maximum cases reported of major accidents from Malwa Mill and Scheme no 78 area in the last week,” Priyanshu said.
Further, due to the rumour and inflicted fear of stray dogs carrying COVID-19, many residents are killing and trying to push away stray dogs from their territory. “Dogs are losing their temper due to lack of food and with the rising number of accidents, this can become another serious issue for Indore,” Priyanshu said.
Troubled pets
Pets living in homes are equally troubled now due to lockdown. “Forcing a pet especially dogs to stay indoors all the time is very difficult because they are naturally active and social,” pet owner Jigyasa Jain said. She explained that handling her pet Labrador ‘Jerry’ is becoming a troublesome task for her family.
“Not able to go out for walks, our pet is almost begging us to take him out,” businessman Unnikrishnan Pillai said. He added that the time is difficult, but pet owners are still trying to keep their pet entertained.
Worried about stray dogs & accidents
“We must understand that every life is precious, but many people are racing their cars in fear of being caught as violators of lockdown. Every day people are rashly driving cars and this could be dangerous for them and stray dogs. We need to be more responsible.”
- Jitu Vasudev, Businessman, Scheme no 54
“After coronavirus was detected in the area, we are not going out. There are still some people, who race on the streets during odd hours. One of the stray dogs, we feed every day, was injured by a two-wheeler yesterday. It is so sad.”
- Vipin Mistry, Businessman, Scheme no 78
“Most people are not acting responsibly! Two stray dogs living around my house were injured by racing bikers and cars a couple of days back. We trying to help them recover. I don’t understand how can people be so insensitive and act so rashly in such a sensitive time.”
- Harsh Vyas, Engineering student, Mhow Naka
“We feed colony dogs every day since they are not getting any food or leftovers to fill their stomach. This morning, we noticed that three of them are limping. One was injured by a racing car in front of me last night. It is so painful and frustrating to see people risk their own and other lives like this!”
- Karuna Singh, Homemaker, Tulsi Nagar
