Quite often, at grocery stores or stalls, you can see stray dogs fed by compassionate citizens. How safe and correct is this? Opinions on this topic divide people into two camps. Someone advocates that it is necessary to feed such dogs, otherwise they will die, others tend to catch stray dogs, as they pose a danger to others. Which of the options is correct will be considered in this article.
Feed stray dogs or not
Many animal advocates are very keen on the question of whether to feed stray animals or not. They usually argue their arguments by the fact that everyone has the right to life, and such dogs are not to blame for their unfortunate fate. And at the mention of the service for trapping stray dogs, defenders begin to resent, considering them “flayers”.
Unfortunately, the people themselves are to blame for the multiplication of the street dog population. Often, pets turn out to be on the street, for which careless owners or those whom they intentionally threw out of the house did not keep track of. As a rule, pets who find themselves on the street do not live long, because they are not able to compete with those who were born free. They die of cold and hunger, because they do not know how to feed themselves or become victims of stray relatives.
Those dogs that were born and raised on the street are quite capable of feeding themselves. It does not occur to anyone to feed wolves or other wild animals, everyone believes that they can survive on their own, and besides, no one wants to meet a wolf, fully aware of the danger of the situation. Feeding such animals, refusing to call for stray dogs, people increase the number of stray dogs on the street.
How dangerous are stray dogs?
Homeless animals that are fed by people do not need to get food. But at the same time, their hunting instinct remains unused. They huddle in packs and begin the hunt for someone they meet on their way. Street and lost, domestic cats, as well as small dogs, suffer most from hunting dogs. It is worth paying attention to the fact that stray dogs do not eat the cats they kill, they are already full, thanks to the care of compassionate citizens.
But what will happen if on the way of such a flock there is not a cat, but a man? Quite often in the news you can hear about cases of dogs attacking people or, even worse, children. In such cases, they immediately recall the trapping of stray dogs. But such a situation can be prevented if you adhere to certain rules:
- Do not feed stray dogs.
- If such an animal is sorry, it must be taken to his home and brought up or taken to a shelter.
- Remember that stray animals live by instinct and can attack any person, even the one who fed them.
Homeless animals can be sick with diseases dangerous to humans and pets. Rabies is especially dangerous, as it is a fatal disease. Therefore, it is necessary to trap stray dogs and carry out veterinary monitoring to identify sick animals. In addition, by destroying cats, stray dogs increase the number of rats in cities.
What to do with stray dogs
First of all, it is imperative to catch stray dogs. In our country, the shooting of stray animals is strictly prohibited. Therefore, there are no "flayer" in this service. They can shoot a street animal, but this will not be a bullet, but a sleeping pill. After the dog is caught, it will be sent to the veterinarians for examination. If the dog is not dangerous, it is sterilized, vaccinated and sent to the shelter. When the shelters are full, the captured animal will be released to where it was caught. In sterilized dogs, aggressive instincts are suppressed, and it becomes harmless to others.
Where to go
Not everyone knows where to go for stray dogs, where to find help. In any large city in Russia there are government services, the addresses and phone numbers of which can be found on the Internet (and you can immediately leave a statement for trapping on the website) or in a reference organization. You can also contact the management company if dogs are found in the courtyards of residential buildings. In villages, you need to contact the local administration for help.
If you want to show mercy to homeless animals, then you need to do it right. Not creating a danger to people and pets and not increasing the number of unfortunate stray dogs.