Crush your plastic, save canines, preach Vizag’s animal rights activists

It is a known fact that plastic, as much as a boon that it may be, it is also one of the leading cause of pollution. Plastic, being non-biodegradable, affects the environment in more than one way. With unruly littering of water cans, food containers at beaches and other places, marine and land wildlife face major hazards. Speaking his mind on the scenario in Vizag, Vivek Chevvakula, a student cum animal rights activist expressed his concerns.

In a conversation with Yo! Vizag, Mr Chevvakula shares that street dogs, often rely on food leftovers from fast food stalls and restaurants. During their quest to survive, these dogs find themselves poking inside plastic cans and containers in search of food. These containers usually have a narrow opening which tends to trap innocent animals disabling them from above their necks. Such trapped canines go into a state of trauma and resist human contact if one tries to help. “These dogs need to be approached with patience and strategical planning,” notes Mr Chevvakula.

Adding further, the Vizag-based animal rights activist informs, “Of late we’ve been getting numerous calls from different parts of the city regarding dogs getting stuck in containers. As much as we appreciate the calls for rescue, the frequency of calls is increasing at an alarming rate, and we as independent activists are finding it difficult to attend to every dog in peril.” Talking about preventing such incidents, Vivek and his fellow animal rights activists in Vizag urge the general public to practise proper disposal of plastic cans and containers by crushing them before tossing them into the trash. Taking a moment to compress used plastic items to make the orifices inaccessible to dogs could save many canine lives.