EFFECT ON STREET DOGS AND QUALITY HUMAN LIFE DURING LOCKDOWN AGAINST PANDEMIC COVID19

F. MRIDHA¹, D. SAHA²*, S. CHAKRABORTY^3
1Department of Veterinary Clinical Complex, West Bengal University of Animal & Fishery Sciences, Kolkata, 700037, West Bengal, India
²Department of Veterinary Animal Husbandry and Extension Education, West Bengal University of Animal & Fishery Sciences, Kolkata, 700037, West Bengal, India
³Veterinary Officer, Animal Resources Development Department, Govt. of West Bengal, India
* Corresponding Author : vetdeva@gmail.com

Received : 17-05-2020     Accepted : 09-06-2020     Published : 15-06-2020
Volume : 12     Issue : 11       Pages : 9927 - 9930
Int J Agr Sci 12.11 (2020):9927-9930

Keywords : Street dog, Housing, Feeding, Health
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : Authors are thankful to Department of Veterinary Clinical Complex, Department of Veterinary Animal Husbandry and Extension Education, West Bengal University of Animal & Fishery Sciences, Kolkata, 700037, West Bengal, India.
Author Contribution : All author equally contributed

Lockdown of India was chosen to take preventive measure against the pandemic COVID-19 during 2020. It affected streetdogs (free-range) as they need food as feed or waste to survive. The present study has been taken up in 150 street dogs to explore their condition and problems caused by them hampering quality human life in market areas of Howrah District of West Bengal, India by analyzing housing, feeding, health and population. Most of the street dogs in market areas found in areas of market and others preferred to gather their or make their own night shelter beside roads. For first few days most of dogs became silent and starved for some periods. After 15 days most of the animals found feed from animal lovers which was increased after 30 days in most market places but almost all of them were found to pick feed from waste. Some dogs were found vaccinated and dewormed previously which could not be increased in this period. Other health issues like venereal granuloma, hip dysplasia, rickets, demodicosis etc. were found in 43 percent of the animals before lockdown out of which 10.6% animals were remained with their symptoms as the rest were treated accordingly. Life threatening health issues like gastroenteritis, metritis etc. were found and treated accordingly. Few dogs found outside their territory which may be the cause of free-ranging and found outside their territory along with food scavenging. Only 33 percent of the total mortality was natural juvenile mortality and rest mortality were influenced directly by accident and poisoning. The 10.6 percent dogs were missing are all juvenile or within one year of age. The death and disappearance of free-ranging dogs were due to normal human influenced factors. This study explored total 20 incidents of attack to pedestrians out of which 6 incidents were of dog bite due to inappropriate behavior toward the dog or to misinterpret dog behavior. The other issues influencing quality human life like unnecessary barking at night, dog urine, feces and life-threatening transmissible diseases were uncomplaining and in normal negotiable range for the human society. Free ranging dogs or street dogs are indispensible part of human habitations in developing country like India. Improved food waste management, provision of dog shelter with feed, ABC Programme, and vaccination can reduce both the high rate of mortality in dogs and zoonosis to human civilization.

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