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Residents hold candlelight march against stray dogs

Hindustan Times, Noida | ByTanmayee Tyagi
Sep 21, 2018 02:58 AM IST

Residents of Ecociti said they wanted the authorities to take note of the problem and act accordingly.

Nearly 200 residents of a gated society in Sector 137 took part in a candlelight march on Wednesday evening to highlight the menace of stray dogs in the area. Residents of Ecociti said they wanted the authorities to take note of the problem and act accordingly.

“We just wanted to highlight the issue to the authorities. It was a peaceful march within the society premises. Children and women participated in large numbers. In the last few months, the number of strays within the society has gone up from three or four to about 20. Children can no longer play outside. Elderly people can’t enjoy a walk within the society premises,” Vishnu Saini, a resident of the society, said.

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He said the menace is more in the basement parking. “These dogs chase cars. They snatch at groceries. One day, my daughter and I had to sit in our parked car for a while as we had food with us and were waiting for the dogs to go away. The children fear going into the basement,” Saini said.

Residents further claim that the decision to organise a protest came after instances of dog bites. “I took up this issue after my eight-year-old son was attacked by two dogs. Dog lovers bring the strays into the society from outside. When we fight against it, they level false allegations against us,” Sunil Mathews, another resident, said.

Residents claim that the sterilisation attempts of the Noida authority are also not very successful as only a handful of dogs are neutered and more keep coming in.

Dog lovers in the society, on the other hand, said the other residents are exaggerating the situation. “These dogs don’t bother anyone without provocation. The ones in the basement are pups who just need some affection. They are not hurting anyone,” Purnima Mehta, a resident who feeds these dogs, said.

She said children can be seen playing in the society without any fear. “The allegations are baseless as the animals have not harmed anyone,” Mehta said.

Authority officials said attempts to catch dogs for sterilisation have challenges. “The society is huge and these dogs hide in corners. As far as puppies are concerned, we cannot disturb them as it is illegal. We have reports from both factions of the society. The solution is for people to accept these animals and coexist,” Dr Nischal, a veterinarian with the authority, said.

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