By Mrs. Hansa Roy
To,
Shri AB Gor, IAS,
DM & Collector,, Vadodara
Collector Office, Kothi Building, Raopura, Vadodara
Shri Dilip Kumar Rana, IAS,
Municipal Commissioner, Vadodara
Vadodara Municipal Corporation, Khanderao Market Building, Vadodara-390209
Respected sir,
Sub: Requesting probe into mysterious disappearance of sterilized stray dogs across Baroda
I am Mrs. Hansa Roy, a geo-scientist looking after the well being of stray dogs (daily feeding, sterilization, vaccination against rabies, medical needs and lifelong care) in different parts of Baroda for the past eighteen years out of my own finances.
I am writing to you concerning a pressing matter that needs your attention. Sterilised stray dogs across the city have been mysteriously going missing, in incidence that has shot up in the recent past. I visit some seventy different locations in the city and so many of my sterilized stray dogs have mysteriously disappeared. Other city caretakers who operate on a much smaller scale have a similar experience. Basically, sterilized stray dogs are being methodically and discreetly removed from the streets of Baroda without leaving any incriminating evidence. An interesting observation is that; those sterilized stray dogs who are either overtly friendly or the ones who have some deformity that makes them vulnerable for easy catching are the ones who are disappearing. I would like to shed some perspective on the behavior of sterilised stray dogs. They rarely migrate because stray dogs are territorial by nature. Moreover, if they are fed and looked after every day, their migration probability becomes near nil. None of these disappeared sterilised stray dogs met with an accident and neither did they die. So, the intriguing questions are who took these sterilized stray dogs and for what purpose? I have myself come across an unmarked van being chased by stray dogs in the dark of the night. Before I could chase it, it had disappeared.
It appears to be a big nexus. It goes without saying that someone is upto dirty work, that too at odd hours when the probability of being caught red-handed is minimal. What I fear is the fate of these sterilised stray dogs. Are they ending up in an animal testing laboratory or being sold off for the dog meat trade? If one might think that the removal of sterilized stray dogs will reduce their population, it is a big myth. Rather it is counterproductive, as the vacuum left behind will be filled up by another pack of stray dogs, who maybe not sterilized and vaccinated. It is the law of nature and a totally different ball game of dog dynamics that no one ever takes into consideration before indulging in mindless killing and removal of stray dogs which tantamount to punishment under violation of Animal Birth Control Rules 2023, PCA Act 1960 and Indian Penal Code 428 and 429. The removal of sterilized stray dogs completely hampers the mission of zero deaths due to dog mediated rabies by 2030.
As per the law, stray dogs can be sterilized and vaccinated against rabies, as per the policy of the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023 and have to be brought back to the precise place they were picked up from, which is integral for maintaining dog-dog and human dog dynamics.
I am imploring you for a probe into the matter concerning the ‘mysterious disappearance of countless sterilized stray dogs across Baroda.’
Thanking you,
Yours faithfully,
Mrs. Hansa Roy
