Masalah anjing liar berpunca daripada kegagalan kerajaan, kata aktivis

Animal rights activist Rajesh Nagarajan has warned that the issue of stray dogs is a result of the government's failure to manage animal populations, breeding and adoption for years. He shared concerns about the safety of children in light of recent attacks by stray dogs, but stressed that stray dogs were not the core issue. Nagarajan argued that stray dogs do not emerge spontaneously, but rather emerge from irresponsible breeding, uncontrolled population growth, and lack of a proper system for managing the animal population.

He cautioned that targeting dogs now does not address the underlying issue and is merely an excuse to ignore the failure of authorities. In a statement, he called for the identification of "hotspot" areas where stray dogs frequently roam to prevent attacks on children, and if such hotspots are confirmed, authorities must investigate them and take action against the involved animals.

He emphasized that the distinction between dangerous and healthy dogs must be made, and labeling "unowned" stray dogs as "street dogs" is not a risk assessment. Before taking any significant action, authorities need to answer questions about the number of complaints made before each attack, the actions taken on complaints, whether dangerous animals have been assessed or taken action, and if sterilization and vaccination programs are properly funded.

Nagarajan also expressed concerns about potential reward or mass killing schemes for stray dogs, stating that such actions would not solve the root cause of the problem. He suggested that owners be required to identify, sterilize, and vaccinate their dogs continuously, strengthen enforcement of animal population control, conduct professional assessments of dangerous animals, and provide reliable public data.

"If there is a clear and imminent threat to children, act decisively against dangerous animals, not every animal without an owner," he concluded.