The city has eight working Animal Birth Control (ABC) centres and has the support of citizens, who have become middlemen between the civic body and NGOs, but the problems of plummeting numbers of stray dog sterilisation, closure of centres performing surgeries and long delays in payment to NGOs continue to plague the programme.
In an attempt to reboot the system, under the banner of Citizens for Animal Birth Control (CABC), activists have written to the BBMP on the matter, and also started a petition demanding that the ABC programme be strengthened.
“Animal birth control is important because it is a health concern, but the BBMP and its Animal Husbandry Department have not given them due attention. As a result, the number of sterilisations have fallen. Even though six centres have been opened, they are unable to work to their full capacity. Many members have had to spend out of their own pocket to take street dogs from their neighbourhood to a private centre to perform sterilisation,” said Priya Chetty-Rajgopal, a member of CABC.
Stating that the BBMP had failed to do its job, CABC members said that in the last one year citizens have done most of the civic body's works. “We set up a Facebook page to give details of work on the ABC programme at the ward level, started six WhatsApp groups, with the respective ABC centre with BBMP officials and volunteers as members to monitor the programme,” she added.
Harini Raghavan, leadership hiring consultant and member of CABC, said the programme needs to be a little more aggressive. “The BBMP should conduct a dog census and make the ABC programme more efficient. We are hoping that BBMP will implement our recommendations.”
Lack of good facilities is also affecting the ABC programme, said Sandeep Reddy, a corporate professional who picks up street dogs and takes them to ABC centres for sterilisation. “Of the eight centres, only two: one in Yelahanka and another within the Government Veterinary hospital in Chamarajpet, have the necessary infrastructure. Other centres are make-shift shelters. A good facility is key to maintaining hygiene and for recovery of the dogs,” he said.
Mr. Reddy has helped 300 street dogs get sterilised in the last three months.
Quality, efficiency and compassion
In the petition, CABC has demanded that BBMP focus on quality, efficiency, compassion and adherence to guidelines. The persons involved should undergo training in their respective roles, as mandated by the Animal Welfare Board of India. The BBMP should not just monitor targets, but also monitor the quality of the procedures undertaken.
Rabies cases should be attended to within 90 minutes from the time of the complaint, and dogs should be dropped back exactly at the place from where they we're picked up for surgery. The BBMP should also update progress of the ABC programme on their website.
The Animal Husbandry Department of the BBMP said they will be setting up permanent buildings for ABC centres in Mahadevapura and R.R. Nagar. “In 2017, we conducted 35,000 sterilisations. Each NGO is given a target of 600 sterilisations per month,” said Dr. G. Anand, Joint Director, Animal Husbandry.
