It is crucial at this time to remind all localities NOT to engage in killing, catching and shifting, or dumping dogs. It has been established that any destabilization of resident dog populations by killing or catching and relocating dogs actually increases the risk of dog bites and the risk of the transmission of rabies. The reason is that if you move dogs out of a particular area, more dogs will ALWAYS migrate into that area, and very quickly. Because they are new to the area and unsettled, they will fight among themselves for dominance of the turf. These fearful, unsettled dogs are much more likely to bite local residents than dogs who have lived in the area for some time, and people are much more likely to get bitten in the crossfire as these dogs battle between themselves for dominance. The practice of killing dogs puts people at higher risk of death from rabies and as such can be considered at best criminally negligent. The persons responsible for the killings, as well as for the coercion of children to participate in the killings (as per eye witness accounts), must be charged and prosecuted under the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
Contrary to popular belief, it is actually the presence of vaccinated, healthy dogs that helps to keep rabies out. Sterilized, vaccinated, and left to live in peace in their areas, these dogs are our partners in the fight against rabies. Because they are territorial, they will not let new, unfamiliar, unvaccinated dogs into their areas who might be potential carriers of rabies. It is crucial to understand that a stable population of sterilized, vaccinated dogs is one of the best defenses against rabies in a rabies-endemic area. Accordingly, we recommend that a directive be issued to all municipalities, district collectors and panchayats that dogs are not be killed, but rather vaccinated and sterilized. Any action that destabilizes local dog populations increases the risk of dog bite and the transmission of rabies and is to be avoided for that reason. Anyone found killing dogs must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, for by doing so not only are they breaking the law; they are also putting the lives of local residents at risk.
