Give a dog a bad name and hang him is an 18th century English proverb. A similar proverb is he that has an ill name is half-hanged. Further, if a person’s reputation has been besmirched, then he will suffer difficulty and hardship. While the vote-mongers in the State serve a real-time illustration of the second proverb stated above, the Mysuru-based canines came dangerously close to be an example of equally appropriate illustration some three years ago, with Mysureans raising their voice against street-bound dogs, calling the city’s civic body to get rid of the menace, if not the creatures accused of the menace.
The shelter-less, four-legged species of the heritage city, estimated then to be about 8,000-strong escaped the noose, thanks to the support they got unexpectedly from protagonists of the live ’n’ let live principle. The Veterinarians extended their helping hand by resorting to mass scale sterilisation of the dogs, leaving them free after clipping a bit of the ear as proof of action. Given the quiet on the part of the complaining residents of the city, all seems to be well again as a sign of healthy camaraderie between the dogs and their nemesis.
