IT’S TIME WE LOOK AT HOW LOST HUMANITY IS TODAY – by Vanshika Mohila

Dogs. The first thing that springs to mind when you hear this word is a
man’s best friend. They may think of us as their best friend, but do we?
On Instagram, a picture of a dog can garner over a thousand likes, yet
the same people who loved that picture swat away stray dogs that
approach them on the street. Animal cruelty in India is a problem that
Indians are unwilling to address; attacks on stray animals, particularly
dogs, have become a part of daily life without us even realising.
An unidentified guy was captured on CCTV assaulting a dog and killing
a puppy near a metro station in New Delhi’. A woman in Karnataka,
India’s southern state, smashed eight pups on a boulder. In Uttar
Pradesh’s northern state, an intoxicated man threw acid on five new
born pups and their mother. A traffic police officer was detained in
Maharashtra’s west central state for brutally assaulting a stray dog,
which resulted in lifelong blindness in one eye. In the south-eastern state
of Tamil Nadu, over 50 community dogs were drugged with pesticide-
laced food and then burnt alive.
All of these instances happened within a month, with the most recent
one only a few days ago. It pains me to even write this, but it is the
reality. Gruesome brutality towards animals, particularly stray dogs, is
not uncommon at all. In reality, some of them are heinous acts of
depravity – there have been stories of puppies being sexually abused,
firecrackers being attached to a dog’s tails, sick dogs being abandoned
on roadways, and cruelty being perpetrated on animals to produce
pathetic tiktok videos, to name a few. Isn’t it our responsibility and duty
as humans to put a stop to this?
The majority of people regard stray dogs as a danger and a threat. A few
unlucky dog bite incidents are enough to turn people against stray dogs
and make them all appear dangerous. However, the truth is that a dog is
unlikely to bite unless it is provoked, ill, or in pain. In fact, according to a
research published in Psychology Today by The American College of
Veterinary Behaviorists, dogs are frequently expressive and sociable
creatures.
I’m baffled as to how someone could harm such a beautiful animal who
just knows how to love you unconditionally. Why now, when the
relationship between humans and dogs has lasted for almost 15,000
years and we have never reached this stage of brutality towards them?
People are able to speak for themselves but dogs can’t. There have been several instances where we have failed to act and take resposibility. It’s past time for us to do so.
Mahatma Gandhi aptly said that the grandeur of a nation and its moral
growth may be assessed by the way its animals are treated by the
citizens. It’s possible that expecting that is naive. But all I can do is hope
that the citizens of our country realise that this is of great importance,
and not a small matter. The liberties of animals, as well as our
Fundamental Duties to them, must be reaffirmed. It is necessary to look
after the strays that are born on the road.
Under the law, animals have the right to be treated with compassion,
respect, and dignity. Animals are sentient beings with inherent worth. As
a result, each and every person, including governmental and non-
governmental organisations, has a moral obligation to safeguard such
beings, according to the High Court. The government has already taken a step. It’s just us who’ve yet to join and take a stand.