Pet owners are letting Goa go to the dogs

Dogs are said to be man’s best friend, except when they have the propensity to maim and mangle. The pit bull that attacked and killed the 7-year-old boy from Anjuna, North Goa, is one such example.

There was ample discussion in the news regarding the breeding, sale and ownership of dogs that were originally bred to be fighters, that they should be banned in Goa.

The illicit and indiscriminate breeding of pedigree dogs should indeed be curtailed. Most of these pedigrees were bred for colder climates anyway, and have a hard time adjusting here.

But, it is fashionable to have a German shepherd or a Husky on a leash that screams money and status. Who cares if the poor animal is suffering from the sweltering heat because its coat is meant to protect it from ice and snow?

I would say that the dogs are situated and their natures are shaped by human action or non-action. One cannot blame the animal for the choices made by the owner.

For one, when individuals purchase breed dogs, they do very little research on the breed they are going to purchase. When the dog becomes an inconvenience or turns aggressive, they quickly abandon the animal.

For instance, after the movie 101 Dalmatians came out, people rushed to buy Dalmatian puppies. The high-maintenance dogs were soon surrendered or left to fend for themselves.

In the case of pit bulls, many have been raised to be wonderful pets that would not become aggressive needlessly. Although thought to be generally mild, I know of at least one case of a Labrador retriever tearing off a woman’s face.

There are other horror stories online. It is not necessarily the innate tendencies of the particular breed that lead to this sort of behaviour.

It could well be a case of a pet suddenly behaving in an unpredictable manner for no known reason. I’m certain, however, that there usually would be an underlying cause related to human conduct, if investigated thoroughly.

It is not breed dogs alone that suffer for the whims of some irresponsible people in Goa. The local Indie dogs are seen less than worthy as pets. An interaction I had with an individual will tell you exactly where the problem lies.

This individual wanted to purchase a golden retriever. Another friend of his and I suggested he adopt an Indie pup. He was adamant it had to be a golden retriever because he could play with the Indie dogs down at the beach, and so didn’t need an Indie pet. Strange logic.

The other issue was that he refused to have his pet neutered. He argued that the pet was male, and he was not going to let it out to impregnate any female dog.

Isn’t it exactly that sort of thinking that has led to so many stray dogs roaming various neighbourhoods?

This reflects badly on Goa as a tourist state.

Imagine you are a tourist and you have packed your bags for that much needed and long-awaited holiday in Goa. Once you arrive, you decide to take a walk on a beach and are, in due course, met with a pack of dogs. A pack that is hungry, or riled up for some reason.

You anticipate an attack, and are duly proven right. A trip to the hospital, and you realise this will be a holiday memory that will haunt you for some time to come.

Some animal activists will be up in arms about this, placing the blame on human behaviour. That is true. But, it does not negate the fact that these sort of incidents have occurred.

Dogs are animals, after all. They have the instinct to survive. In a pack or alone, if they feel threatened in any way, they will attack.

There are Goans who have been attacked, too. But, will that cause them to take responsibility for the indifference that has created this entire mess?

The government needs to set up more stringent rules that prevent pet owners from being lackadaisical. Let them be the ones to pay heavy fines. It is only when we take our role as custodians of our planet and all life on it seriously that any sort of concrete change can occur.