Editor,
The Meghalaya High Court’s order to extend the stray dog control measures beyond Shillong to the entire state is not just timely but essential. Just as the government ensured no citizen was left behind during the COVID-19 vaccination campaign, a similar no-exception approach is needed for the state’s growing stray dog population. The situation in several localities within Shillong has reached alarming proportions. Unchecked birthing among stray dogs has led to a kind of population explosion that is not only a public health concern but a serious safety risk for residents, especially children and the elderly.
One cannot help but wonder what the Animal Husbandry department and civic authorities have been doing all this time. Despite the evident crisis, there is little to no visible action from either of these crucial departments. In fact, public memory does not serve a single instance where these departments have led any substantial or sustained effort to curb the stray dog menace in any part of the state.
It is commendable that the court has invoked the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules, 2001, following a PIL, and directed the formation of a committee to implement sterilisation and vaccination protocols. However, implementation must not be a tick-box exercise. Without a committed, campaign-style initiative—mirroring the intensity and coverage of COVID-19 vaccination drives—the situation is unlikely to improve. The comparison may seem unusual at first glance, but the underlying principle is the same: universal coverage, accountability, and urgency.
This is no longer a matter of isolated dog bites or nightly disturbances—this is a question of civic sanity and public health. The state machinery must wake up to the reality and act decisively, or else this issue will spiral further into an urban catastrophe.
Yours etc.
A concerned citizen
Also read:
