Increase In Pets Abandonment Leads To Increase In The Number Of Strays

SHARMILA CHETTRI Animal Rights Activist, People For Animals, Sikkim

Lately, in Sikkim, we have been witnessing a sudden increase in the number of pets who are left behind or abandoned by their owners.

These pets are either left out near the housing/residential societies or highways, mostly in the remote areas. These pets are left to survive for themselves. Dogs and Cats including puppies and kittens are found inside plastic bags or tied with ropes near the highways, where no one can see the pets being abandoned.  The owners know that their actions are wrong yet somehow they don't accept that they're actually abandoning their pets, and at the same time, do not want to  get caught or be seen, rarely do we get to see the owners abandoning their pets. But in a few cases we actually witness abandonments like recently in Jorethang, a pet dog was loitering around all alone in the streets who was once seen by everyone with his owner ( sources revealed that the dog was regularly roaming around with his owner but the owner has now migrated to NEPAL, leaving behind his pet ) .

 Another such case took place at a road connecting Rumtek Gumpa and Sang Martam, popularly known as "PAGLA BHIR", where a mama dog and her pup were left on the roadsides. People bring pets when they're cute, especially some females, knowing the fact that someday or the other she'll give birth to her puppies. Poor furry, with such a bad living life, where probably she was once enjoying home cooked food, now she's abandoned - homeless and hungry. One recent case was reported from Pakyong where a mama dog along with her three puppies were found in a  drain /‘Jhora’ .Whatever may be the reason, ultimately the victim is always the pet, because these pets are used to being around with their owners in their private home space and  now all of a sudden when they are left all alone, sustaining life now like a stray would be very challenging and in many cases, these abandoned pets are either injured or killed by the other territorial strays during fights. Their fate is always at stake and tragic, they are forced to sustain their lives with fear, taking care of themselves. For newly born puppies and kittens, when they are abandoned or disowned, the final verdict for them is death. Without proper care and shelter they die of thirst, cold and hunger.

But why is this issue of abandonment increasing?

REASONS

MIGRATION OF FAMILY / OWNERS:  The owners tend to migrate from one place to the other when finding suitable jobs, they forget that there is someone who's a part of their family too, but, they choose to give up on the voiceless, who once had showered all his/ her love over his/ her owner.

SICKNESS OF PETS:

In most of the cases, the owners neglect the health of the dog, because some can't afford it and the others don't want to, and the only option they can opt for is abandonment.

FAKE RUMOURS AGAINST DOGS BY UNSUPPORTIVE SOCIETY:

Sometimes people who are against the pet owners are likely to put false narratives, blaming the owners, creating conflicts where dog owners are forced to leave their rental apartments. In such a scenario, some owners are unable to manage another accommodation, hence abandoning remains their only option.

 GETTING RID OF A PET OVER NEW BORN HUMAN BABIES:

When a baby is born, some people have the misconception that the baby might get harmed by their pets. For instance, a few months back, there was a case from 5th mile Tadong, where a dog named Rocky was beaten up so cruelly just because the poor Rocky had torn a blanket of a pregnant owner. Luckily Rocky is rescued and is living a good life at the PFA shelter. If Rocky wouldn't have been rescued that day, the owners would have probably, dumped him somewhere else or have killed.

UNSUPPORTIVE FAMILY MEMBERS/PARTNERS:

Sometimes genuine people and children bring home strays with compassion, but they are not at all accepted by their family, they are forced to abandon the home bought pets.

OLD PETS ARE BURDEN FOR SOME OWNERS:

 As pets get old and their body needs more support, love and care during their toughest phase, they are abandoned, numbers of old aged blind dogs who couldn't survive on the streets are brought to shelter homes.

NOT READY TO COPE UP WITH RESPONSIBILITIES:

People adopt puppies when they look cute but due to their teething and lack of toilet training, they aren't ready to cope up with the responsibilities, hence they choose to abandon them.

The owners who abandon their pets are not contributing anything good to the society instead they are to be held responsible for the increase in the number of stray dogs. And, no amount of pressure should lead to an abandonment of a pet animal. Doing so is a violation of Law. When home owners/landlords restrict tenants from housing a pet, they actually violate with an individual’s fundamental freedom, guaranteed to the citizens of India, i.e. the freedom to choose the life they wish to live. Moreover, According to the article 51A (g) it is our duty to show compassion to all living creatures; and the law of the land protects the rights of non-humans. Or does it?