Perception of People Toward Free Roaming Dogs in West Bengal

Various factors affect people's perception towards stray animals. The attitudes and perceptions of local communities towards stray dogs are lacking objective data. Some of the factors that affect the same include cultural beliefs, socioeconomic status and personal experiences. Education and community involvement are also extremely important when it comes to fostering a compassionate and responsible approach toward stray animals, which is something that needs to be worked upon in a vast country like India. This paper tests the roles of these factors in shaping their attitudes and the extent to which they correlate with each other. For the present study, a sample of 90 respondents(male=32, female=58) were asked to fill in a survey that utilised questionnaires to measure attitudes and perceptions toward strays. This study found statistically significant differences between the age of respondents and their perception toward strays, pet ownership and their perception toward strays, feeding strays and their perception toward strays. Additionally, the findings showed no significant differences between gender and their perception toward strays, as well as between educational qualifications and people's perception toward strays.