Delhi, raped.

Delhi is numb.

An entire city lapsed in a coma.

No, it’s not because of the infamous cold waves but a macabre crime. And whilst the angst of the society looms large over news channels and social media, the word on the street seeks justice. This anger is a necessity and Delhi has no dearth of it. Heck, the wrath that we unleash as road rage would alone suffice! As my incisors wait in earnest to tear through the flesh of the culprit ‘humans’, I hope this cause doesn’t cough up with the passing days but grows into a growl.

But I have a problem. It arises when the society snarls at rapists, hissing shrill cries, “These dogs (kutte) deserve to die.” or “These rapists are not human but savage animals (jaanwar)”.

Dear society, do animals know sin?

Were animals shunned from heaven?

The answers rest this dog’s case against the society.

And as I write, I hear a charged youth chanting on TV that this city has gone to the dogs.

No, my friend the city has not ‘gone to the dogs’. Had it been, it would have been a lot safer.

Connect with Dog with Blog on Facebook Twitter  G+ 

New York Times: Where the words are wicked…

This New York Times article Where Streets Are Thronged With Strays Baring Fangs rages my heart like a gasoline tank on the verge of a spark.

Mr. Gardiner, you are making some bold statements in your article, hope some of these startling facts wake you to reality.

 ”When the catch-and-kill policy started in 1860 in Chennai, they used to kill two dogs per week. But the procedure did not show any results even after being implemented for 100 years. In the 1990s, almost 16,000 dogs were being culled every year but they continued to multiply. However, after implementation of ABC rules, rabies cases in Chennai reduced from 120 in 1996 to zero in 2007.” 

~Co-founder and chairman of Blue Cross of India, S Chinny Krishna 

I hope some of the readers unlike the stone pelting writer understand that it’s not the dogs at fault but the municipal machinery which has not carried out Animal Birth Control effectively.

“I and others look after all the strays in the Lodhi Gardens area and rarely has a bite (leave alone killing of a pet dog by strays) been reported from there. When bites are reported, it always turns out that the ‘offending’ dog was either being teased or stoned by some ignorant person/s, or the biter was a pet dog.”

~Madhu Goyal

“Your article has given a very lopsided view of the situation. Sadly, as human beings, we fail to see what is obvious, and that is the fact that dogs are after all, a species that is incapable of utilizing modern science and medicine to their benefit. Also, an epidemic of stray dogs cannot be prevented by the canine world on its own. What should have been mentioned is why the municipal authorities do not make it their priority to keep the streets secure from rabid dogs or packs of dogs. Why aren’t the dogs regularly neutered and spayed? Most importantly, killing animals of any kind isn’t the solution, morally or otherwise. To every example cited by your correspondents, I can give you an equally heart warming story of when a dog protected a house from getting burgled, a colony from being robbed or an infant being protected against a snake. Would that make you believe all dogs are saints? Calling them scavengers and fang baring creatures have painted an entire species to be villainous and sadly, they can’t defend themselves. In this story too, the greatest malady is the lack of concern shown by the municipal authorities and not the animals. Hope you do see that clearly.”

~Runa Mukherjee, writer/editor and dog lover

“Dogs are not known to attack unless provoked. And by provocation I do not mean an exaggerated display of violence, though we have enough of that too.  It means subjecting another living being to conditions of extreme hunger and thirst. Human beings are known to have killed each other over food and money. Did we go around planning a campaign to eradicate all the starving and tired humans from the face of the earth? For that matter when we kill other animals to satisfy our own hunger does that call for a mass revolt against us? Try sharing a bit of your food with any dog. The quantity is immaterial. And after that when he looks at you with all the love in his doggy eyes, tell me you want to join a brigade against him!”

~Hitesha Deshpande, author and a devout dog lover

“Frankly, I’m quite shocked by the article published by New York Times on street dogs of India. It is more alarming because I expect much better from such a reputable publication. Here the problem glorified is that stray dogs attack and infect people. While they were quick to point out the growing population of stray dags, unfortunately, they chose to ignore the dismal and pathetic attempts by the local authorities and government to do something about it. The problem here is not that there is a spurt in the population of stray dogs or that they are infected. The problem here is that a proper sterilization and vaccination program is not in effect.
Once again we blame animals for the problem created by humans. Dogs here are the victims. If we sterilize the current present population of stray dogs, simply, the population will be in control. Simple step such as vaccinating them will prevent the spread of rabies and other infections. Also, sadly, good NGOs and shelters for dogs remain a distant dream. Hunger and cruelty at the hands of humans forces them to behave sometimes in manner which again makes us blame them.

Drastic steps, as suggested by the educated member of Punjab Legislative Assembly who proposed in June of sending strays to China- to be eaten, makes me question who the animal really is. 

What we need is an effective solution. Will the stray dogs be saved? That is the question.”

~Mahima Kukreja, blogger and dog lover

“Instead of teaching tolerance and empathy towards animals, I have seen parents transfer their fear of animals to their children. So, when the adults are not around, and I’m walking Veeroo (my Red Setter), I encourage kids to come and make friends with him. On one such meet-and-greet occasion, one nine-year old girl asked me if I had got the “poison removed from the dog’s teeth”! I’ve never heard anything more bizarre and I’m sure the girl must have learnt this from her parents or adults around her! Sheesh!”

 ~Adite Banerjie

Just another case when what Gardiner Harris calls as ‘India’s snarling stray menace’ proved to be otherwise. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/13-stray-dogs-save-youth/889417/

Talking of westerner’s viewpoint of stray dogs in India, Mr. Gardiner what’s your take on this picture? Does any human life looks threatened?

Cathie & my cousins playing with stray dogs.

Suggested Reading:

Here’s a useful link on Indian stray dogs and their rights

 Why killing stray dogs isn’t the solution?

Connect with Dog with Blog on Facebook Twitter  G+ 

Life, Interrupted.

Almost every fortnight I get that odd adoption update- family abandoning an old dog/ Mr. Highflyer leaving for foreign shores and putting up pet for adoption and so forth.

Out of an average life span of a decade, someone gives you unadulterated love for every passing second and you got the nerves to call it quits?

I hope you lament the loss someday. I hope this awkward predicament grows on you, like the lump in the throat. Like a blow you feel deep in the diaphragm, like a loss that chokes. Life, interrupted.

If you know someone who has shown the door to an old dog or abandoned a pup after bringing him home be wary— you know a person for whom love or loyalty isn’t a virtue.

I Adopted Your Dog Today

I adopted your dog today
the one you left at the pound
the one you had for seven years
and no longer wanted around.

I adopted your dog today
Do you know he’s lost weight?
Do you know he’s scared and depressed
and has lost all faith?

I adopted your dog today.
He had fleas and a cold,
but don’t worry none.
You’ve unburdened your load.

I adopted your dog today.
Were you having a baby or moving away?
Did you suddenly develop allergies or was there no reason he couldn’t stay?

I adopted your dog today.
he doesn’t play or eat much
He’s very depressed, but
he will learn again to trust.

I adopted your dog today.
And here he will stay.
He’s found his forever home
and a warm bed on which to lay.

I adopted your dog today.
And I will give him all that he could need.
Patience, love, security, and understanding.
Hopefully he will forget your selfish deed.

-Author Unknown

Connect with Dog with Blog on Facebook Twitter  G+ 

Promises that you must keep

There would be times when you would come across incidents where a dog has been abandoned by a family. The reason may be because of an injury the dog suffered, a disease that he caught, re-location of the family because of job changes etc. If you divulge into the deeper details, all these are merely lame excuses. If you get a dog, remember he is family! And you don’t really shun a family member on the above accounts. It’s rather better to not have adopted a pet than to treat him as a commodity destined for the same fate as that of a tawdry fashion item. My nostrils flare when such gross news is reported. Please understand that it’s a beating heart full of love, loyalty & friendship that you have adopted. There are responsibilities that you must live up to.  Please, remember that you are the harbinger of joy and the elixir of life for the muted species.

You are the hope and he is the heart!

Some websites regard the following as the rules for dog lovers while others quote them in the Biblical lines as 10 COMMANDMENTS. Consider it as the voice of  the dog.

1. My life is likely to last 10 – 15 years.  Any separation from you will be painful for me.  Remember that BEFORE you get me.
2. Give me time to understand what you want from me.
3. Place your trust in me; it is crucial to my well being.
4. Don’t be angry with me for long, and don’t lock me up as punishment.
5. Talk to me sometimes.  Even if I don’t understand your words, I understand your voice.
6. Be aware that however you treat me, I’ll never forget.
7. Please don’t hit me.  I can’t hit back, but I can bite and scratch and I really don’t want to do that.
8. Before you scold me for being uncooperative, obstinate, or lazy, ask yourself if something might be bothering me.  Perhaps I’m not getting the right foods or I’ve been out in the sun too long or my heart is getting old and weak!
9. Take care of me when I get old.  You will get old too.
10. Go with me on difficult journeys.  NEVER say, “I can’t bear to watch, or let it happen in my absence.”  Everything is easier for me if you are there.  And always remember, I LOVE YOU!

Picture courtesy: Fernfly

Connect with Dog with Blog on Facebook Twitter  G+ 

Jallikattu- the juggernaut that must be stopped!

“The tendency to turn human judgments into divine commands makes religion one of the most dangerous forces in the world.” – Georgia Harkness

Treading back the alley of my scribbled sentiments, drawing on the thin fine line of the opium of the masses (read: religion), I wander in the wild & wilderness.

Every year a sleepy village in Tamil Nadu comes to mainstream media spotlight. Decorations and delight all around, the celebration is impregnated in the air and as hoards of spectators huddle together, the human perimeter around the field sinks in the fanfare. The frenzy of both locals and foreign tourists reaches an avalanche- a rural celebration of epic proportions? Wait!

Into this grand setting that may remind you of a tight budgeted amphitheater, an infuriated bull is unleashed — adorned with tawdry accessories, rubbed with bright colors and with money tied around its horns. The bull is chased by villagers. Their objective is to hold on to the animal for as long as possible in an effort to tame the animal and seize the money. Welcome to the 4,000 year old “sport” of Jallikattu, a local version of the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain.

The term Jallikattu comes from the term “Salli” kassu (coins) and “Kattu” (meaning a package) tied to the horns of the bulls as the prize money.

Now read this-

Not a single year has passed by without blood shed. Human lives are lost too.

D. Rajasekar, secretary of the Animal Welfare Board of India in Chennai says, “The bulls are abused by rubbing chilli powder in their eyes. That’s not all. They are forced to drink alcohol to drive them into frenzy.” Some bulls are raised exclusively for this purpose. Their testicles are pinched to make them more aggressive. Their tails are twisted and bitten.

But then, had it been about animal agony alone, who would have cared? In a world which has sensory detections for only one pain, that of a human. The ears were long turned deaf to the wails of the wild.

“Jallikattu has become an industry and people are making money. This is normally done during Pongal. How can you stretch it for five months upto May?” asked the The Supreme Court of India.

The next Jalli kattu hearing is on the 13th of August,2010. Please mail to AWBI against this blood sport so that they can present it at the hearing.

Here is the draft mail.

Every religion must go through a continuous self cleansing process to get rid of its orthodox mal practices, and when I say it, I mean it for ‘every’ religion. Modernity is a myth, if it doesn’t abolish orthodoxies which don’t find sync in the moral views of the new world.

If it is for being in the name of religion and pleasing the lord then why ban ‘Sati’? Wouldn’t it have got gods enraged? The Hinduism lawmakers Yajnavalkya & Manu Inc. had constituted many blasphemous rites in the name of religion, many of which leave my incisors dying to make mark in the back of the legislative ‘holier than thou’ flesh! 

If it is in the name of tradition and cultural heritage then it must be noted that the historical evidences reveal that the sport was never what it is today. 

For those hoisting the flag in favor of it being a veera velayattu(guts and glory sport), the difference between valour and stupidity is a thin fine line. Taming a strong animal and playing a pseudo hero? Why don’t serve in the fight against terrorism?And then there is a section esp. Tamilnadu Tourism department which wants Jallikattu continued as it attracts foreigners- well, if blood served as an effective tourist magnet than Afghanistan (or closer home Kashmir) would have had the maximum tourists flocking in?

Connect with Dog with Blog on Facebook Twitter  G+ 

Canadian carnage!

Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s greed.

~Mahatma Gandhi

Cruelty knows no bounds and there are times when my inferior canine brain(compared to the great humans) fails to comprehend the gravity of the lurking conundrum. As readers of this space know that I’m a dog, an animal- primitive, wild and uneducated. Yet, like most of my animal friends, I may hunt for food but never for fun, fur or fashion. If religion wasn’t enough of an opium to kill the mute(Nepal), Canadian govt. hosts an annual seal hunt festival that sees hundreds of thousands of seal killed for fur. They do defend their gruesome sport via claims like it supports economy but facts have framed an alltogether different picture revealing a stark reality which is quite unlike the govt. claims.

(Sir Paul McCartney and Heather Mills with a baby seal, the Beatle legend had appealed to canadian govt. against seal hunting. )

Thousands of seals like the one in picture(below) are killed mercilessly by hits against head.

Just in time for Canada Day, PETA will be running its new “Explore Elsewhere” ad featuring a rendition of Canada’s national anthem “O Canada” playing over footage of baby seals as they are clubbed to death. The ad will run on Google and several travel blogs this week to let potential tourists researching Canadian summer vacations know that the Canadian government still sponsors the annual seal slaughter, which just concluded in Newfoundland. World leaders as diverse as Barack Obama, Vladimir Putin, and His Holiness The Dalai Lama have spoken out against the controversial massacre.

I wonder if it’s that necessary to wear fur? Drawing analogies with African blood diamonds, seal hunts too register the fact yet again that consumers care only about the beauty of the finished product while laying into the ignorance of abyss  the gruesome process which ‘polished’ the ‘product’.

Recommended reading:

Nigel Barker’s interview

The Humane Society of US

Seal hunting: Pictures

Reminds me of this scene from Ace Ventura: When Nature calls

Ace: That’s a lovely wrap you’re wearing! Perhaps I could buy you some fluffy new slippers, made from the heads of innocent and defenseless baby seals!

The Monopoly Guy: Who is this ghastly man?

Ace: Ace Ventura, Pet Detective. And YOU must be the Monopoly guy! Hey.

[whispering]

Ace: Thanks for the free parking.

Pompous woman: Another ACTIVIST, McGuire.

The Monopoly Guy: Activist, yes

[snobby laugh]

Ace: [imitating him] activist, yes, mhmhmhmhmhmhmhmhm!

Pompous woman: Mr. Ventura, there is nothing wrong with enjoying the fruits of nature. You should try it sometime.

Ace: Alrighty then!

[smacks man in the face which knocks him unconscious, drapes him over his shoulders and begins to sing and dance exotically]

Ace: [shakes man] Do not pass go! Do not collect $200!

[hands back man to pompous woman]

Ace: It’s lovely, but I fancy myself in autumn!

Connect with Dog with Blog on Facebook Twitter  G+