The human-dog relationship has been around for over 15,000 years.   A new study shows that even untrained, homeless and abused, stray dogs can understand the language of our bodies. India has the world’s largest number of stray dogs, approximately 30-35 million.

But still, many continue to regard street dogs as a threat and disease-causing animals. These ill-treated & famished animals often find it hard to feed themselves. They mostly depend on eatables lying in the waste, food left by people outside their homes & whatever little food some caring people feed them. They have no voice to word the many horrors faced by them, their pains, their suffering. But just like us, they have feelings. They too feel everything & most of the time, they feel rejected, ignored, scared, and like a menace. Covid hasn’t been hard only on humans. It has affected those poor creatures too, with little to no people leaving their homes & everything closed, it has gotten even harder for them to survive.

Pet dogs aren’t chased & captured by the Municipal dog vans & neither are they beaten. Having an average lifespan of 15 years and a high fertility rate, they may produce a puppy every six months. Their pups are also more likely to go on to have an easy and long life.

But these forlorn street dogs are less likely to complete even five years of their life. Having a low fertility rate, they also produce fewer and weak babies. The survival rate of their babies is even lower, with many of them dying within their first few days or months. Even if they somehow manage to survive, they can be at any moment, captured & taken away by the Dog catching vans.

THE COMPASSIONATE INDIAN YOUTH

However, times are changing the youth is more aware, more compassionate & more giving towards these animals. Not only are they volunteering for good deeds, but they have also set up many NGOs, many organizations to feed and take care of the street dogs.  Many of them are even open to adopting the indies, providing them a happy and healthy life with a forever home. Adopting a stray dog means saving their life.

One such NGO is “Perroayuda Welfare Foundation” a youth-based organization with a simple and heart-warming motto, to lend a helping hand to stray animals in need. During COVID-19 lock-down, they fed over 900 dogs a day. “Thuvani Foundation” donated 1000kg of rice, feeding more than 9000 dogs. An Agra-based NGO fed and gave shelter to stray dogs during strict COVID-19 lockdown.

Udaipur based, Animal Aid Unlimited; People For Animals, Red Paws Rescue, Stray Relief And Animal Welfare (STRAW), The Blue Cross of India, International Animal Rescue Goa are just a few NGOs, making life a little better for stray animals.

REASONS TO ADOPT

• The Indies are much well-suited to the heat of India, unlike pugs, huskies, Great Dane, dalmatians, golden retrievers, etc, as they are non-native to the country.
• They have very high immunity & do not fall sick easily. They rarely suffer from obesity & hip dysplasia problems.
• They are very low-maintenance. Basic nutrition, exercise & regular vaccines are enough to keep them in the best of their health.
• They are not very picky and eat anything given to them with love.

• Extremely trainable & easily adaptable to changes.
• The Indies are an unmatchable race when it comes to intelligence. They are very alert. Another factor that contributes to the intelligibility of these dogs is high competition to get through a day.
• They don’t shed much.
• They will love you far more if you love them a little. They love wholeheartedly & are very protective of their owners.

So, Let’s be human & start adopting & loving these adorable dogs. They need love more than anything & we should do our bit in making India a better place for them.