The corporation’s frenzied drive is being seen by many as a knee-jerk, irrational response to two stray incidents of deaths since January this year.

After a four-year-old boy Manjunath was mauled by a pack of dogs on February 28, the state health minister R Ashok announced the “merciless culling of stray dogs.”

“There has never been such a slaughter of dogs anywhere before, a terror has been unleashed in Bangalore. Only 0.1 per cent of dogs are biting humans. How can they do this?” asks Suparna Ganguly from the animal rights group Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA).

“A frenzy has been created and people are being consumed by it,” says Poornima Harish of the Animal Rights Fund. But animal-rights volunteers attempting to prevent the capture of dogs have had to face public wrath in several areas over the past week. Organizations like Stray Dogs Free Bangalore and prominent citizens agree that there is a need to reduce stray dog numbers in Bangalore, but in an ethical manner.

“The corporation should not be cowed down by the animal rights groups. They must mercifully euthanize stray dogs otherwise there is going to be a huge problem,” says Vatsala Dhananjay from Stray Dogs Free Bangalore.

“If dogs are attacking in packs it means that they are present in large numbers, fighting for food. The problem needs a holistic approach of encouraging adoption, sterilization, licensing,” says B J Mahendra, a city-based rabies researcher.

According to the head of human resources, education and research at Infosys, T V Mohandas Pai, “the challenge must be tackled with compassion and Bangalore like other international cities must be street-dog free.” Citizens must “mutually recognize the needs of each other and there is need for both sides to be more considerate,” he said.

... contd.