Strays or Pets: DOES BREED MATTERS?
Often people in India generalize stray animals to be much worse than pure-bred dogs vaarious reasons. Be it their health or how they looks. Stray animals are just as good as other dogs, if not better. Often subjected to physical abuse, conditions of stray dogs deteriorate rapidly in India. With readily accessible news of animal abuse these days, it really makes us wonder whether humans have any humanity left towards creatures left out on the streets, fighting for their very lives.
According to PETA, “Every time someone buys a dog from a breeder or pet shop, a homeless pup loses his or her chance at finding a good home.” Adoption is considered to be a better way of finding a furry companion than forcing a mother to produce a child just to meet the demands of the market.In the present day scenario,pets are less of companions and more of a status symbol in high societies. This raises the demand for pets prominently dogs of superior breeds and breeders meet this demand by all means possible to earn profits by even staking their health.
Stray animals have had a hard life from day one. Many strays don’t even make it to the adult phase of their lives.Those who do, have lived their lives among other territorial dogs and people.The majority of the dogs who’ve lived on the streets are malnourished and dirty. But once taken care of, they’re just as pretty as any other Pet. Something that you only understand after getting a dog is how little the breed matters, because it’s not the way your dog looks but the way that he loves you that wins you in the end, Its how how much love and compassion we give them. The stray animals have a lower risk of obtaining purebred genetics that lead to inherited diseases, they are healthier than other dogs. People have the stereotype that stray dogs tend to bite you; However, it’s almost always the opposite case. Regardless of dogs which are actually aggressive, in a much broader sense, stray dogs are very well socialized with not only other dogs but also humans. It’s an irrefutable fact that these strays are treated ill at times and are often abused physically. Thus, they might get scared of humans and often even run away or bark when you approach them and in very rare occasions, bite you.
You might be getting a pet for your own purposes, but for a stray, you become their whole world by giving it a healthy space to live in. Almost all these strays are used by people to take out their frustration, and as a result, they are often killed in the most brutal ways. Many people don’t consider a strayanimal’s life even a life. Adopting a stray before he wraps up his or her heart with fear, is the most wonderful feeling you will have all your life, right next to the joy of having your dog by your side.
It is stupid to objectify dogs into status symbols. If you want to make a status statement – buy an expensive car! Don’t buy a foreign dog breed because of their fancy fur. A stray dog would love you the same as a Husky or a St. Bernard. ndian strays have been living and endured tough conditions. They have a stronger immune system and do not contract diseases that pedigree breeds usually suffer from.
Even the Uttarakhand police took this initiative to safe a life of a stray,The Uttarakhand Police Department said- “A dog that used to roam around on the streets is now the pride of the Uttarakhand Police dog squad. This experiment was done for the first time in our country by the Uttarakhand police. It turns out that Indian street dogs perform better than foreign breeds that cost lakhs.”
“There is a growing consciousness among people about animals and their well-being. During the lockdown, people have grown more sensitive to animals, birds and nature. If just 3 out of 100 people adopted a dog, there wouldn’t be any stray street dogs left in India.
Adopting a stray gives one perspective, and is often an opportunity for one to become a better human being. Taking in a pet is not always about being in a race to show off a fancy breed.
“Money will buy you a pretty good dog, but it won’t buy the wag of his tail.”
The strays that live in your colony await your love, more than the fancy pets do.
Be kind and open your hearts to the strays. Give them the right amount of the four-legged word-LOVE, they deserve. Give meaning to their lives.”