Why should I help stray dogs?
The answer is quite simple. Very often, you find yourself stepping out of your home and being surrounded by stray dogs. Some of them look quite healthy while the others look hurt, famished, or weak. Some of them even display signs of diseases. Should you just pass them averting your eyes and get on with your business? What happens if you do that? The stray dog population increases and in the next few days, you will find only more of them on your streets. This is not helpful to you and your community and more importantly, is unhelpful to these dogs.
A dog’s behaviour is a product of its environment. Previously abused or abandoned dogs will be defensive. It is only natural. Hungry dogs will look for food and hope it comes their way from passersby. People need to have a basic understanding of this when faced with stray dogs.
- These dogs have nowhere safe to go and will roam the streets for food. They may wander into the middle of traffic and may hurt themselves. What’s more, this may cause an accident. Both the stray dog and people are affected in this case.
- Stray dogs will not have a place to mark their territories and there is the possibility that urine or faeces will be all around. Dog waste can be a contaminant in your water and can get sick with the bacteria in the dog’s faeces. They are a health hazard.
- Stray dogs may be defensive because they are afraid. Children may not understand this and may either reach out to pet or shoo them away so that they can play. A frightened dog may react in anger and aggression.
- Stray dogs are considered a nuisance. They may be noisy and may be perceived as a general disturbance in the neighbourhood.
You don’t need to be a dog lover to feel compassion towards them.
Compassion is an innate human tendency. And in the case of animals, we tend to reserve a softer spot in our hearts.
Despite this, there has been a longstanding misconception about stray dogs – that they are aggressive and less fun to have around. The truth is, most of these dogs were once pets, or belonged to a long line of domesticated breeds that have been unfortunate enough to undergo stressful situations like abandonment and ill-treatment.
Avid dog lovers know that even stray dogs deserve the same amount of love, care, and attention as their domestic counterparts. So, when there is an opportunity to care for a stray or an abandoned pet, you can implement these ten useful tips.
Top tips on how to help stray dogs in India:
1. Find like-minded neighbours in your community
The first step to help stray dogs is building a safe haven by creating a community of dog lovers. Remember, you are never alone in the fight for a good cause. Searching for fellow dog lovers in your community is actually quite easy. Just observe the behavioural patterns of stray dogs towards people in your neighbourhood, and you’ll likely find quite a few like-minded people who want to help street dogs.
Strays develop a keen understanding of where and when to go in order to receive basic needs like food and shelter. Once you know whom to trust, simply connect with them. Work together to find out and arrange for vets, food, shelter, and more. Remember that just feeding stray dogs is not enough – real caring is when you feed them and also ensure they are sterilized/neutered by an NGO and get their yearly anti-rabies shot Caring for dogs as a community will greatly help in reducing the stray dog population, give relief to overcrowded animal shelters, and give the stray dogs in your community someone to love and trust and live a healthy and peaceful life even though it is on the streets.
2. Arrange for shelter and regular food
Now the real work begins. This is where taking up responsibility comes into play. To function better as a community, you must try and segregate tasks among your fellow dog lovers. Some may have an idea about the best foods, when to feed and what to avoid feeding stray dogs, while others will be keen on setting up makeshift shelters out of cardboard boxes.
You will also have a young audience who might consider adopting a stray for personal care. Ensure that kids do not pick up pups and take them home for fun. This is cruelty to the animals. The pups are best left with their mother and it is helpful if the mother gets good food at least once a day so she doesn’t have to wander away from the babies looking for food during the day. Once the mother dog stops lactating, then please contact the nearest NGO to get her spayed so there will be no pups in the future and she will stay healthy.
3. Adopt and support stray dogs
A healthy dog is a happy dog. Before considering a stray dog for adoption, get the medical check-up and vaccinations completed A quick visit to your nearest vet is essential. If signs of unease in the stray dog persist even after treatment, opt for a second medical opinion.
Bear in mind that you may also come across stray dogs that are in critical conditions, they may look malnourished, show signs of abuse, or are just too old and weak to be adopted. Don’t worry, for such stray dogs, you can get in touch with a permanent home where they can live and be loved just as much as a healthy dog.
4. Vaccinate and sterilize/neuter
If your local animal expert or vet identifies some stray dogs that are of appropriate age to be vaccinated, don’t hesitate to get this done. Neutering adolescent dogs is also recommended, and in fact a mandate passed by the Indian government, as it greatly helps in population control and improves their health.
If you are not comfortable in directly approaching a stray that needs to be vaccinated/neutered, contact an NGO that helps dogs. After a dog has undergone the required sterilization/neutering procedure, it may need five days of rest and medical care before being let back in the location from where he or she was picked up. Releasing the stray dog back in the original location is mandatory as per animal birth control laws in the country.
5. Raise awareness and learn the laws
Just like humans, dogs have rights too, and that extends to the stray dog population. For years, dog lovers have been fighting for a proper legal system that must be set in place against the unethical treatment of stray dogs. India has one of the world’s best laws in place to protect the rights of stray dogs. You can read this legal framework for stray dogs. Unfortunately, the implementation of the laws leave much to be desired. So it is important that you spread awareness about such laws within your community – refer to legal advice and precedents set by courts in India when in doubt.
A dog’s loyalty is one of its greatest assets, so ensuring their safety and security from unlawful activities will help increase the bond you share with them.
6. Prevent and report cruelty
If you happen to come across animal abuse, don’t just be a mute spectator. If you see someone beating or troubling a dog, take it personally and object. Try to educate them instead. Tell them that it is punishable by law to harm or relocate stray dogs forcefully.
Some people in your locality may not have the best of intentions for dogs. Keep an eye out for them and be prepared to solve any conflicts that may possibly arise. In extreme cases, opting for legal advice can prove useful.
7. Rescue a lost or abandoned dog
As mentioned earlier, a major part of the stray dog population comprises lost and abandoned pets. It’s not hard to identify them. They will probably have a collar on and be responsive to commands. Sometimes, such dogs can be hostile or defensive due to separation anxiety, prior abuse, neglect and sickness. Here’s how you can help a dog that is lost or abandoned:
- Try to secure the dog and ensure that it receives immediate food, water and medical treatment.
- Use Facebook groups, WhatsApp, or other social media platforms to circulate images of the dog.
- Ask around the area for lost dog posters.
- If you receive any claims of ownership, thoroughly verify it before giving up the dog.
- Try for adoption of the dog if no owner is found.
- If you can’t find its owner and there are no leads for adoption, contact a dog sanctuary and surrender the dog.
8. Organize a Dog Welfare program
One of the best and most effective ways to ensure that the stray dogs in your community are receiving the love and attention they deserve, is to organise a welfare program. These programs can come in the form of adoption drives, feeding drives, neutering, and a push for improving infrastructure and medical needs by local municipal corporations.
Should you come across a financial roadblock, you can boost funding for such initiatives by applying for a VOSD grant.
9. Become a sponsor, contribute to your favourite organizations
You can support the work of VOSD Sanctuary and Hospital by:
- Directly donating to our organization to help support the constant hard work and dedication of our dog-loving employees.
- Sponsoring a dog of your choice, which involves monthly expenses like food, medicine, general maintenance, and speciality support.
- Donating to the various campaigns that VOSD promotes to support other NGOs and individual stray dog caregivers.
vAt VOSD, we believe that taking care of stray dogs is more than just a full-time job; it’s an effort that demands tremendous amounts of care and attention – a feat that can only be accomplished if we all unite as a dog-loving community.
10. Volunteer your unique skills (rescue, ,manage social media, raise funds)
While VOSD doesn’t allow casual visits to its premises, we do encourage dog lovers to actively participate in our efforts to help stray dogs by volunteering. You can become a member of the VOSD team in one of three ways:
- Assist at the sanctuary: Help our staff in the daily requirements of caring for stray dogs. We have opened an internship program for anyone who is interested in learning about working with dogs and having a career in this domain.
- Spread the bark: When you combine the power of social media with the photogenic expressions of a dog, you get something truly moving and powerful. Anyone with a camera and a knack for storytelling can help support VOSD’s work for stray dogs across India.
- Fundraising for VOSD: VOSD is one of a kind. If you are good at creating online and real-world events for fundraising, we would love to meet you. We are open to hiring dog lovers who share the same philosophy. Check our current openings here.
A friend in need is a friend indeed. And together, we can become a dog’s best friend!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. Are stray dogs good pets?
Unlike the common misconception that stray dogs are difficult to be house trained, it is actually the opposite. If you are wondering how to take care of street dogs, don’t worry. Stray dogs have a very friendly nature and are extremely adaptive. In addition, they are more immune to diseases and shed a lot less, which can save you a lot of hassle.
2. Is it OK to adopt a stray dog?
Adopting a stray dog is a great idea from a humanitarian as well as ease perspective. If you are a canine lover and always looking for answers on how to help stray dogs in India, adoption is the key. Stray dogs make for great pets and can easily be house trained due to their adaptive nature. They have a strong immune system and can be great companions for you and your family.
3. Are stray dogs dangerous?
Many people want to help stray dogs but are worried about contracting diseases. A stray dog that hasn’t been taken care of definitely poses risks of infectious diseases. However, once those dogs are well cleaned, vaccinated, and neutered by the medical staff, they will be the reason for joy in your life.
4. Is it OK to feed stray dogs?
It is perfectly normal to help street dogs by feeding them as long as you keep a few points in mind. Firstly, make sure that you feed them at a dedicated time and ensure that they are away from any residential areas to avoid canine-human conflicts. Secondly, select separate spots and amount of food to feed them to reduce their dependence on you. Thirdly, be careful of any open wounds on the strays and get them treated to avoid further infections. Last but not least – always ensure that you get the stray dogs spayed/neutered with your local NGO or private vet hospital. Feeding stray dogs without sterilisation is an invitation to suffering and misery for the pups born from intact stray dogs. As a dog lover, you must do the best to ensure the population of stray dogs in your community is controlled through proper sterilisation programs. It is also essential to get the stray dogs an anti-rabies shot annually.
Support a stray dog: Make a donation today!
Do you find yourself unable to adopt a stray dog for any reason? Does your heartache when you are unable to help? Have you thought about other alternatives? You can help dogs in a different way! Think about donating to VOSD and covering the expenses for food and medical expenses. You will make a huge difference in the lives of dogs here. Learn more: https://vosd.in/make-a-donation/
