There was a showdown between two residents: a dog-lover and a resident mother. Both parties were deeply aggrieved. Politeness had taken a back seat. The matter pertains to a pet dog and the scared children of a neighbour. Community harmony was at risk. The matter is not about human or dog well-being. It is about conflict resolution and the need to be able to sit and talk as sane, mature folks to try and seek a solution. A lot of ‘tu-tu, mein-mein’ continues to take place. Tempers refuse to calm. Via media suggestions are rejected by the dog-owner, which in turn infuriates the affected resident more and vice versa. Two simple take-aways:
One cannot expect a parent to accept this threat to their child or family elder without reacting strongly to it. Any parent, a mother especially, will fight a cobra if her child is threatened by it. The same rule applies to any animal as far as she is concerned. Hence, as dog lovers, we MUST appreciate their point of view. Merely saying that in case of a bite we will pay for the treatment etc. actually irritates the other party more, and is always best avoided. How will any dog-lover, including me, ever compensate for the trauma and the lifelong dog-phobia a child may develop if attacked and bitten by a dog?
• On the flip side, 99% of canines, are generally over-friendly. They love to be fed, to be petted, to be molly-coddled. This attitudinal defect (actually a god-gift) is across the board in most dogs. They are bundles of love wrapped in fur.
I will be shot down for my views by both groups involved here. I frankly don’t care. My aim has always been and shall continue to be, to find solutions to human-animal conflict in a way that both get maximum benefit. It can never be ‘my way or the highway’. In any human-animal conflict which is left simmering, the eventual loser is often the animal. Compassion and empathy will pacify the aggrieved human. Compassion and empathy will also ensure the future well-being of not just the stray involved, but also every dog across the Colony.
What was the provocation:
Megha Mehta reported: there is a family living opposite my house (H.no.95 I guess) they have this Labrador who twice attacked my kids earlier and today he came almost till my kitchen, when I politely asked his owner to keep control of her dog. Then she literally hammered me with her words: why don’t you keep your door locked? and she kept being rude to me. At this I really felt bad because when earlier her dog attacked my child, then too I didn’t say anything but today she was so rude to me even when it was her fault. Firstly, they can’t control their dogs and then shout at us to keep our doors locked. I have 3 small children in my family and it has become so risky for them.
Is this the way?? And it has become so difficult to take out our kids even for a walk.
After reading Meghna’s post, Renu Verma reacted: Very disconcerting. People should take care of their pets. Paalne ka shauk hai to sambhalne ka shauk bhi to rakho.
Then Shivani Chaturvedi commented: Don’t worry, very soon you will get lessons on how to take care of your child and how to take your child for a walk, how to control your child when he runs and how to lock your gates so that the freedom of strays is not disturbed, and so on… you may also get a lecture on the co-existence of human and animals and maybe on animal rights!
KN Bansal Commented: कुत्तो के काटने की घटनायें दिन प्रतिदिन बढ़ रहीं हैं, अफसोस इस बात का हैं कि इसके उपर कोई सख्त कानून नहीं हैं और दूसरी और इनको पालने वाले, आम जनता या पड़ोसी की परेशानियों की तरफ ज्यादा ध्यान नहीं दे रहे। एक बार आरडब्ल्यूए की जनरल मीटिंग में इस बात की गम्भीरता को बहुत लेडीज ने उठाया था और उन्होंने यहाँ तक गुहार लगाई थी कि कम से कम सेक्टर की एक सड़क तो कुत्तो के डर से सुरक्षित की जावे जहां पर वह सुबह व शाम बिना डर के टहल सके, उनकी इस बात पर हाल में मौजूद बहुत मेम्बरों की सपोर्ट भी मिलीं थी पर कोई हल नहीं निकला।
इन्सान का कुत्तो जैसे जानवरों से डरना बड़ा ही समभावीक है, मेरी प्रार्थना हैं कि हम सब बैठ कर इस समस्या का हल, सभ्य समाज की तरह निकाले।
Anupma Bhardwaj (SDF) Commented: A few days back a stray dog kept chasing a little baby about 2 yrs old (a labourer’s child) again and again. The child was very tiny in front of the dog. Three guards from the nearby houses had to come and shoo him away. It was really scary. This was in the park opposite house numbers 132 & 134.
