Stray animals in India are a common sight, but their condition is deteriorating for some reason. In recent years, getting all these fancy and expensive breeds has become a new trend. While it may not seem like a big deal to many, it is life-changing for the stray animals of India. Most of the population is not fond of animals, and the other half is investing in popular breeds, leaving no room for love for the strays.
Hypocrite animal lovers?
GenZ and the millennials, everyone wants to look cool with cute pets such as Persian Cats, Golden Retrievers, Chow Chows, etc. But people hesitate when it comes to adopting stray animals in India. And the bigger problem is that the society, the government, the people, no one is questioning this.
And the hypocrisy hits when people take out their fancy pets for a walk, along with a stick. A stick; to hit any stray animal that tries to come close to their beloved pet. We live in an era where people discriminate, not based on education, the way of talking, or dressing, but on the “breed” of an animal.
Some humans are scared of dogs having rabies-related concerns and many other issues. But unfortunately, this fear, mixed with ignorance, leads to people ill-treating them and using inhumane methods to eradicate them from society. There have been many instances of poisoning and beating of street animals. One can only imagine what they have to go through daily.
How can we help them?
Adopt, Don’t Shop
If people start adopting instead of buying all these expensive breeds, life will become easier for some stray animals. Not only do the animals benefit from it, but adopting strays is more pocket friendly and comes with a different level of satisfaction.
Because of a high supply demand of breed pups, many breeders mistreat their pets for their business, forcing them to mate more often. Therefore, adopting animals from shelters is a way better option, not only for stray animals.
Respect Animal Rights
One may come up with as many excuses, but none of them can ever justify a monstrous act. Similarly, humans are not entitled to disregard animals’ rights because they fear them. One thing studied and observed over time is that no animal attacks without reason.
On the other hand, many heartbreaking incidents have come up over the past few years where people deliberately are cruel to these innocent strays. Taking someone’s life or hurting someone, be it an animal, is not okay.
Educate Children To Be Kind To Animals
Children should be taught about animal rights from a young age and that violence is unacceptable. Each year, we see countless animals suffer at the hands of humans. Therefore, if, from a young age, kids learn that animals are living creatures and should not be treated less than humans, they are more likely to be kind to them.
A child who is empathic to animals will also be a great human being with all the ideal qualities of kindness, a caring nature, and emotions.
Feeding Stray Animals
Even if you cannot fully adopt stray animals, you can still help them in the littlest ways. We can be pet parents to hundreds of souls just by feeding them. Our simple gesture can bring so much light into someone’s life.
Most of them are always in search of food and are highly malnourished. While it may not cost us much, a little piece of bread, some biscuits, or even our leftover meals would mean the world to them.
There are so many ways we can look out for these poor little souls on the streets of our country. And while we may not intentionally ignore them, we still end up being a part of a society that is cruel to stray animals in India. So why not work for change, a better environment, and a positive vibe? Our efforts may not see instant results, but at least we may create better living standards for some of them. That being said, Jaldee Vets is an online veterinary platform that has started a #StrayLivesMatter initiative wherein we provide free online consultations to stray cats and dogs. So if you ever come across a stray animal that requires medical care, please don’t hesitate to contact us.