Rottweiler attack in Chennai brings back old question of dog menace vs pet-human bond

CHENNAI: Despite human-animal conflict being endemic to districts with forest coverage, the capital of Tamil Nadu is becoming a hub for incidents in which stray or feral dogs and cows make headlines for attacks on the vulnerable section – the children and the aged.

Besides the cattle, exotic pet dogs and stray dogs have become a new headache for young parents. The recent gruesome incident of two Rottweilers causing grievous injuries to a child in the city had sparked concerns among the residents and civic activists.

Sharing experiences of growing guard dog, Shankar (name changed), a Rottweiler pet parent, in Tiruvallur district said, “The central government has not banned foreign breed dogs for lame reasons, but the dogs are ferocious, and it is not advisable to keep them in the city. Instead, the owners should maintain the dogs in the outskirts without causing harm to the public. The local veterinarians, who are aware of dogs’ aggressive behaviour, should caution the owners on the same. Dogs like Pitbull, Rottweiler, and German Shepard are guarding breeds and they are ferocious. They should be trained and maintained properly”. He also mentioned that the behaviour of the dog can be controlled based on the training given by the owner.

Referring to the recent episode of the dog attack, R Ramesh, a resident of Old Washermenpet said, “It is not an accident because the dogs follow the one-man command. The owners might have failed to some issues earlier thus leading to violent episodes. Besides the pet animals, the local body fails to address the stray dog menace that often endangers the lives of school kids.” The public opined that they witness first-time pet owners deciding to parent breeds such as Rottweilers, Pit Bulls, Great Danes, Huskies, etc. without prior experience. Do not go for the bigger breeds unless you have a large open area within the confines of your home. They added that the bigger space will ensure these pedigree dogs run and exercise to keep themselves healthy.

“Getting a Rottweiler and restricting his movements by tying him outside the house for the entire day in these extreme climatic conditions will make the animal ferocious. Eventually, they tend to discharge all the accumulated energy resulting in attacks. Even stray dogs tend to bite the residents during extreme weather conditions,” commented activist C Raghukumar.

The 23 foreign-breed dogs that are ferocious should be banned in the country, the guideline issued by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Animal Welfare Board of India to prevent illegal breeding reads. Since there is an interim stay following the ban on foreign-breed dogs in the country, the local body is struggling to curb the sales and breeding of dogs in the capital city.

“Internationally, the 23 foreign breed dogs are identified as ferocious, so the dog owners should monitor these breeds regularly if they find any abnormal behavioural changes. The enforcement authority should create awareness of rearing breeds unsuitable for tropical weather conditions,” said M Ravikumar, the former secretary of the Animal Welfare Board of India. He further mentioned the significance of vaccinating dogs regularly.

Meanwhile, GCC commissioner J Radhakrishnan urged the pet owners to get a license from the local body and ensure regular vaccination. “We appeal to the stakeholders especially pet owners and activists to ensure that the public is not harmed. Owners should take responsibility and vaccinate pets to reduce the incidence of zoonotic infections,” he said. “Understanding animal behaviour is crucial and animal lovers should take accountability. All pet companions should be licensed and improper breeding and illegal sales should be prevented,” he added.