For centuries, dogs have been described
as "man's best friend". The canine species is an intelligent one and
as pets, with good care and attention they provide both companionship and
security for their owners. For the stray dogs which roam the streets of
Port-of-Spain, their lives are much more difficult. Lacking owners, the typical
day for a stray on the streets of the city involves a search for food which is
usually in the form of scraps, the possibility of death or persecution when
they wander onto private properties, the fear of capture and the search for
shelter. According to Warner (2013), there are currently over a thousand stray
dogs are captured and taken to the Trinidad and Tobago Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (TTSPCA). There are captured in the urban
areas of Port-of-Spain, Laventille and Tunapuna. The main reasons for the high
number of strays in Trinidad includes the high costs of pet maintenance, there
are too many animals in the household, the owner is migrating or has died or
that the animal has become ill or pregnant. Perhaps the most significant reason
for the high number is the lack of spaying to achieve population control. In
addition, the presence of stray dogs is a reflection of the socio-economic
status of households in an urban area. In fact, two systematic whole studies of Baltimore
revealed that the majority of stray dogs where located in high-density,
low-income areas whether occupied by blacks or whites. (Beck, 1973)
In their state as strays, they become
one of man's greatest enemies rather than being a best friend. Stray dogs
provide an inconvenience for motorists, facilitate the spread of diseases such
as rabies via bites and create untidy surroundings through interference with
garbage in search of food. Yet, there has been a call to give these stray dogs
a second opportunity at fulfilling their purpose as companions. According to
Ramnath (2012), the desire to provide a second opportunity for the strays
involves a number of improvements. In the first instance, there is a need for
advanced, adequate training and education for handlers in the art of
approaching and dealing with an animal. In the second case, she states that
there needs to be the implementation of modern technologies to replace outdated
tools so that animals can be handled in the most humane manner possible.
Finally, Ramnath (2012) suggests that there needs to be the revision of
legislation in order to give the strays a greater chance for rehabilitation.
The Dog Act of 1918 states that "where any stray dog seized has been
detained for five clear days the seizure or where a notice served in accordance
for five clear days after the service, and has not been claimed by the owner
and all expenses incurred in respect of its detention have not been paid by the
owner, then the local authority may cause the dog to be sold, destroyed or
otherwise disposed of." (Ministry of Legal Affairs, 2014) The revision of
the Act would provide a greater period of time for the stray dogs to find a new
owner and reduce the possibility of the animal being euthanized. In addition,
there is a need for local authorities to show a greater level of response to
reports of stray dogs acting as nuisances or threats. (Ramnath, 2013)
Other than being rehabilitated as pets,
there is no doubt that with the appropriate care and training, these stray dogs
can offer a variety of services provided that they are in reasonably good
condition. This was recently evident in Brazil where former abandoned stray
dogs were employed as "ball dogs". This occurred during the 2016
Brazil Open tennis tournament where dogs which were previously mistreated were
taken from shelters, trained and used to retrieve balls for players during the
matches. Apart from the dogs becoming distracted by the new environment, their
introduction was a major success and a welcomed initiative by the people of
Brazil. (Sanderson, 2016) In Trinidad, we may not host major tennis tournaments
but they are a range of services that these dogs can provide. Such services include
providing help to the physically challenged, employment in therapy for patients
in stressful situations to provide calmness, mascots for sporting teams and
police work. We therefore recommend that these initiatives be researched and
tried so that all dogs have the opportunity to be man's best friend.
References
Beck,
Alan M. 1973. The Ecology of Stray Dogs:
A Study of Free-ranging Urban Animals. Purdue University Press: Indianna.
Ministry
of Legal Affairs. 2014. " DOGS
ACT CHAPTER 67:54". Page last updated December 31, 2014. http://rgd.legalaffairs.gov.tt/laws2/alphabetical_list/lawspdfs/67.54.pdf.
Ramnath,
Kristel Marie. 2012. " Revise
Dog Act of 1918". Accessed April 5, 2016. http://www.guardian.co.tt/lifestyle/2012-02-05/revise-dog-act-1918.
Sanderson,
Jaime. 2016. " Strays
given new lease of life as ‘ball dogs’ at Brazil Open". Accessed April 5,
2016. http://metro.co.uk/2016/03/01/strays-given-new-lease-of-life-as-ball-dogs-at-brazil-open-5726239/.
Warner,
Tremaine. 2013. "TTSPCA to the rescue". Accessed April 5, 2016. http://www.guardian.co.tt/lifestyle/2013-05-22/ttspca-rescue.
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