STREET DOG GANGS AND A VEGETARIAN DOG
Dogs in India primarily live on the streets and are fairly independent, not aggressive, although they are almost constantly hungry. They roam the streets and scavenge leftovers under food stalls. They don’t attack anyone and remain calm, though I always tell my son not to pet them or get too familiar with them.
"Wolf-Like" Eyes
When I first visited India, in the Himalayas, in the Ladakhi capital of Leh, I preferred to walk around half the town rather than walk through a narrow alley at night, where several pairs of "wolf-like" eyes would glow in the dark. A colleague from a volunteer expedition was bitten by street dogs a year ago, and rabies isn't exactly a pleasant souvenir from the Orient. One time, my wife, a schoolmate, and I were walking down a street in New Delhi on our way to a dance performance when suddenly a pack of about twenty dogs charged toward us. They were probably chasing something or someone. It felt like a gang of bikers speeding past.
Territorial Fight
"Dogs fight for territory. Each pack has its own space and doesn’t like seeing dogs from another part of the city on their turf. Street dogs are also quite jealous of pet dogs that live with humans. I remember when we took our Dorjy for a walk, we often had to carry him home because street dogs would attack him. My mom would have to carry a stick to shoo them away. Dorjy also liked to provoke other dogs. He was small but barked loudly at bigger dogs, then tucked his tail and ran, jumping into our arms," recalls Anvita, who grew up in Delhi. Dorjy was a vegetarian dog. He loved chapatis, carrots, cucumbers, and lived to about 13 years old. He never tasted meat.
Different region, different custom
In Northeast India, people eat dogs, which is uncommon in predominantly vegetarian India and is not widely accepted. However, India is so vast and diverse that the saying "different region, different customs" truly applies here. Street dogs are a common feature in both cities and rural areas. People have gotten used to them, live alongside them, and they don’t typically pose a threat. Locals often throw food to them or adopt puppies into their homes.
