Strays

 It is pitch dark. You partied hard. It is already past midnight. Your bike is racing, almost as if you were Schumi. Suddenly from somewhere hidden in the dark comes a grrrr, two eyes with indescribable emotions glare at you, and thus begins a chase till, may be, you are past two crossroads. In a split second though,  the new chase soon begins.

No, there is no mystery neither suspense. No, it is not the Devil incarnate. It is just a stray or two (The Lord save you if the entire pack assumes the 'guardian of the nukkad' duty!) performing their innate compulsive instinctive desire/duty of guarding their corner! Summer, monsoon, winter, nothing deters them. They bark, they chase, they bite, their favourite area being the shin of the victim!

Most people hate strays whose number must be in lakhs. Yes, I love dogs. Yet I have a different take on strays. In my opinion, they need to be saved from people, and people need to be protected  from them. A stray mostly scavenges. Yes, certain people feed them on a regular basis. 

Instead, it would be better to take them to a vet, get them an anti-rabies shot, find them a good, loving home. Otherwise, they should be neutered. It is very cruel on the animal as well as on human beings in the vicinity to let a stray be a stray, and non-neutered, and unvaccinated.

Given their dustbin-foraging, fights over food, their untreated wounds, the strong likelihood of rabies lurking in their system, the strays can be a health hazard, both for themselves, and for human beings. 

Yes, there are a few large-hearted  individuals who have built enclosures for them. Blue Cross holds adoption mela's. Such efforts are often limited. Hence the need to treat the stray with all possible vaccines, and get them a good home. Ratan Tata, Sachin Tendulkar, Madhuri Dixit have shown the community the way through such adoptions. Hope the 'stray' issue soon becomes 'normal'!

Pratima@The utmost cruelty, however, is 'have money, will buy a pedigree' policy.  These pets are used to a certain lifestyle imposed on them by human-beings. The 'masters' break their normal life, instincts, very strong in strays.   

A dog is a responsibility. He is (like a member of the) family. He is neither amusement nor fashionable show-off possession. Dogs are hyper-sensitive and hyper-intelligent. They need our love. Talk to your doggie for a few minutes a day, and experience his immense joy and unbounded love!

Oh, yes, come what may, never abandon a pet. Whatever be his health condition due to old age, he deserves and needs our care and concern. Our turn it would be to show unconditional love which he showered on us throughout his life!