You must have seen carcasses of animals lying on the streets of Kathmandu, after being crushed to untimely death by reckless drivers. But you hardly bother about them, because they are mere animals. Some of you might pity the poor animals, but you move on because there is nothing you can do.
Have you ever thought about the implications of such incidents? What if those very drivers kill your dear ones? Won’t you then seek stricter state regulations while granting license to drivers?[break]
A driver who can kill an animal can also kill a human being. It would be too much to demand for the killers to be put behind bars in a society ruled by humans, but it wouldn’t be inappropriate to ask for their license to be revoked to ensure that they don’t end up killing people. Why wait for human fatality?
Photos: Neeraj Chandra Roy
But if the drivers have been killing helpless animals intentionally or just for fun, then there is a need for serious soul-searching. What kind of society turns a blind eye to such horrendous acts? What has happened to our morality? Why are we ready to torch a bus that kills a human, but remain mute spectators when a vehicle crushes an animal? Of course, the law is blind. We do not have any law to protect stray animals. But what about our conscience? Have we forgotten humanity?
One day I was waiting for a microbus in front of police station in Sukedhara when I saw a heart-rending scene. A little white dog was crawling on its forelegs because its hind legs were crushed by a vehicle, causing multiple fractures. It had deep, exposed wounds that were susceptible to infection. To my dismay, many people expressed their sympathy, but none was willing to help the miserable animal.
I was reluctant for a moment, but I couldn’t stop myself from helping the puppy. I bought some medicines and food, wondering if it would even eat them. As I was feeding the little dog, countless pairs of eyes were staring at me. I would have really appreciated if some of them had lent me a helping hand.
As I was a stranger, the grimacing dog didn’t allow me to do the dressing. I tried to get a veterinary doctor, but none was available. After about an hour, I returned with a piece of meat and an antibiotic placed inside it. The dog took no time eating it, and I went home satisfied. However, I was still worried that it would die if it didn’t get proper medical treatment.
Later in the evening, a nearby shopkeeper narrated how she saved the little dog after it got hit by a microbus about a week ago. According to the lady, who runs a small tea-shop just outside the ring road, it had been crying in agony for two days.
“I used to give it milk because it didn’t eat anything else. It just started eating biscuits a few days ago,” she added. The next day, the landlord found the dog to be a nuisance, and started beating it mercilessly.
Fortunately, another shopkeeper who had just opened his business after Dashain, rescued the dog and took it to a hospital, where it received the much needed treatment. But whether the dog will fully recover is still doubtful. But at least, it is in good hands. Locals say that the Good Samaritan is fond of dogs and has been looking after 11 helpless street dogs.
“He requires 60 kg of rice every month to feed the dogs!” exclaimed one. He was looking for someone willing to nurse the dog because he already has so many of them.
Perhaps the poor dog will survive to live a crippled life. But will we ever change our attitudes? How many dogs will suffer a similar fate before we realize that they are living beings and they deserve to be treated humanely? Let us not forget that we humans do not rule the world, but share it with other living beings.
The author is Sports Correspondent
at Republica
redevil.neeraj@gmail.com
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