Blame... Blame.... Blame!

I've some very sad news to share. An 18 month old child was mauled to death by a pack of stray dogs in Bangalore. My deepest condolences and the kindest thoughts go with the mourning parents of the deceased. And I know that nothing can ever make the pain go away as far as their loss is concerned. You can read more on that story here.

But I've also been seeing a lot of "Anti Animal Rights Activist" thing going on. It's like almost the entire country is bashing the animal rights activists for having brought about the ABC law (Animal Birth Control law) into existence. And though I know the incident was extremely sad and unfortunate, there's really no need to bear up the arms against the activists!

Now, let us ask ourselves a few questions before we begin the activist bashing. Alright?

Who's to blame here?

The dogs? The guy around whom the dogs hung around? The parents?
Oh, I wish there were just a few people to point fingers at. Ultimately, we're all to blame. There are so many countries out there where stray animals are a rarity. And even if one is found, there are government run shelters that take the animals in and hold onto them for a stipulated amount of time till either the owner turns up (if the animal ran away) or some other kind hearted soul decides to adopt the animal. And in these countries, when the stray animal problem was a grave one, they adopted the birth control plan.

I just don't understand what's with all this "All animals on the street must die" stance! I see a lot of anger there. but imagine if that child was not on some road and had a proper place to call home. Would the same thing have happened? Not by a long shot! There are so many people out there on the streets and the people who are responsible of making their lives better just turn the other way when confronted. And then there're the supposed animal rights groups that claim to help when called. I can personally assure you, if you make a phone call about a dying dog or an animal in need, they will not turn up. I've tried more times than I care to count.

And finally, we the people. Dogs are creatures that gravitate towards places where there's food. That's their primal instinct. And garbage figures in their list of groceries for sure. So, the next time you are tempted to throw that plastic bag filled with the chicken fried rice you had last night into some dingy corner of the road, remember - you're inviting the stray dogs to partake a feast from what you've thrown in. And when everybody does this everyday, more and more dogs swarm the area and soon, it becomes a menace.

So, the next time you want to blame people, start from yourself and work your way up or viceversa... your choice!