dog walkers and the stray dog menace

The world is full of dog lovers and our college campus is no exception. The unreasonable overwhelming love some people feel for their 4 footed friends can get a bit trying sometimes.
There has been a population explosion and the whole area is filled with packs of stray dogs. The plus point is that they run away (even when they are in a dangerous looking pack) if you clap your hands hard enough or wave a stick at them.
One of my friends found the ideal solution. He keeps a can of Morten cockroach and pesticide spray in his pocket , a real pocket sized can. “Don’t worry,” he said “it is an insecticide. Since dogs are large, and not insects, nothing happens to them. They don’t like the smell so they run away.”
Personally I have not tried it.
We have a resident “Blue Cross” brigade. They do not allow you to do anything other than clap your hands at the dogs. Many residents were furious, there was yowling and barking at ungodly hours and then the pack descending on you when you went for a walk."We will sterilize all the stray dogs" they said.
This solution was a total disaster. The vet refused to sterilize more than five a week and he wanted to be paid per dog. He had obviously not realized that each litter had at least six dogs. Budget cuts soon put a dampener on his services and the project. He was not altruistic.
Their idea of another solution was to go to the physiology department and let the experimental dogs loose. Many had their pancreas removed to make them diabetic and were on insulin. How long they would last disconnected from their insulin pump is a moot question. But the activists did not really care.
The residents and their pets add to the problem. Many are too lazy to take their dog for a walk. A Doberman owner just lets it loose at 5 am. “There is no one around at that time,” he said “my dog is a free spirit” he likes to run loose.”
Perhaps, but what of other free spirits who like to jog at that time to get to work on time?
It is really difficult to obtain justice. Our Doberman owner is also the administer in charge of campus security and dogs.
Then there is the crazy surgeon whose dog conveniently escapes every morning . “She’s just friendly” was his constant refrain, till she took a bite out of a biking professor’s leg!
Meanwhile the Doberman just ran away. He must have been tired of the loveless family in which he lived. Not willing to leave well enough alone, they got another dog a beautiful Labrador. She “needs to know her place” said the administrator. So she spends all day tied to a leash at the kitchen door. If she escapes or manages to chew through the leash, heaven help all the pedestrians.
All this is peanuts compared to adventures with the resident Rottweiler. “He is very different from others of his kind. He is very gentle. After attacking a couple of kids that thought has been put to rest.
Why can’t people obey rules? The campus rules on pets are very clear. Pets must be leashed at all times when outside the house. They are not expected to “run around” as “free spirits!”
I thought an inability to obey was a very Indian phenomenon. That was until I came to the USA and went to watch a marathon.
The sign stated very clearly “Do not use collapsible chairs to sit on as the emergency services vehicles have to move on the side of the road. No pets are allowed.
Half the spectators were on deck chairs holding leashed slobbering dogs of all shapes and sizes.
The loudspeaker announcements went over everyone’s head. A man actually came with a megaphone and yelled at everyone. People moved a bit but then returned to their original spots and positions.
As for the dogs—they were not going anywhere!
There has been a homogenization of the human race and the animal population. People are globetrotting for jobs and to live. All international borders seem to be artificial boundaries.And they are taking their dog rearing practices with them.
Or perhaps it is just the psyche of dog lovers.
Viva la dogs viva les humans!