The country is currently witnessing stray dogs getting hyperaggressive and biting human beings. Almost every day, reports are surfacing in the media about stray dog attacks. What initially started in Kerala has been spreading intermittently in different parts of the country. Is there something deeper behind this phenomenon?

Stray dogs have the unfortunate problem of being homeless, unprotected and, as a result, face bouts of starvation for long stretches of time. A lot of good human beings feed them out of compassion, many NGOs also attend to their health needs. Suddenly, there has been a spate of sporadic attacks by stray dogs, which has gained prominence in the media, and ultimately the Supreme Court has intervened and issued certain directions. But nobody has ventured to enquire about the reasons for the sudden bouts of aggression.

The term “aggression" refers to a wide variety of behaviours that occur for a multitude of reasons in different circumstances. All animals are aggressive when guarding their territories, defending their offspring and protecting themselves. Species that live in groups, including people and dogs, also use aggression and the threat of aggression to keep the peace and to negotiate social interactions.

The scope of this article is focussed on whether stray dogs are being intentionally served with drug-laced food. It is well known that many illicit drugs, including heroin, cocaine, amphetamines, opiates, hallucinogenic drugs and marijuana, are freely available everywhere. Also, drug addiction in many states is reaching alarming proportions. All these drugs, even in minute micrograms, cause agitation, hyperactivity, aggression, dilated pupils, excitement, disorientation, bizarre activity or movements, and altered mental state, in human beings.

For animals like dogs, a trace of the above drugs is sufficient to cause deep agitation and aggression. The likely possibility is that these stray dogs are being served drug-laced food either deliberately or accidentally. Deliberate administration of drugs, by lacing it in food, to make stray dogs hyper aggressive, and attack not only human beings but other dogs or animals, is happening sporadically in select human settlements. There is also the distinct possibility that drug addicts,........

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