NOIDA: Stray dogs are roaming around the city hungry as people have stopped feeding them. A looming fear that dogs may carry coronavirus coupled with fear of food supply shortage has resulted in the situation, say animal
activists
, who suggest people to leave food for the animals at a distance.
The situation was especially bad on Wednesday afternoon as the day was sunny and the street dogs looked parched because those who regularly give them food and water had not turned up for the last few days. With all eateries closed and bins empty, animals activists fear there could soon be rising canine deaths on the roads.
“People have suddenly got this misconception that the dogs are
Covid
carriers. World over, vets have assured people that there is no way that dogs carry the disease or transmit them. This is no reason to stop feeding them when you have been feeding them for a while and they are used to a supply,” said Kaveri Bhardwaj of People for Animals, Noida.
PFA members have been feeding as many stray dogs they come across. “But local residents must pitch in,” she said. Two days ago, the problem was highlighted by BJP MP Maneka Gandhi when she tweeted that she can be reached for help to feed neglected animals.
The chief veterinary officer of Gautam Budh Nagar did acknowledge the problem. “People have stopped stepping out, so feeding the animals is a problem. But we will all have to deal with it now as a community. Helping the animals as well while keeping yourself protected,” said Virendra Srivastav, the district’s chief vet.
Diya Bahubalindra, a Sector 21 resident, has a solution to the problem. “If anyone who feeds dogs feels scared, they can leave food for dogs at a distance, come back home and get sanitised. There’s no need to touch them.”
Meanwhile, the district’s chief vet has said that a shelter will be opened for abandoned pets, in the wake of TOI’s story on a nine-year-old labrador, left behind by her Covid-19 infected owner.