No Progress In Setting Up Of Dog Shelters In AP

Animal welfare activists are raising a hue and cry over the disinterest among the authorities in taking matters forward. There is no proper documentation of stray dogs in the state as yet, and their population keeps increasing, they say. One can see puppies running here and there almost in every street, they say.

Without a proper assessment of the stray dog population, the civic authorities may not be in a position to erect og shelters or even to lift them from schools, colleges, bus stations, railway stations and government hospitals etc, they stress.

K Pramod Kumar, co-opted member from the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, in Visakhapatnam, said, “There is a need to spread awareness among the people on human coexistence with animals especially stray dogs, so that there will be no problem to anyone.”

Animals rights activists say that of late, people in residential areas started complaining about stray dog menace to the civic authorities. But shifting stray dogs to shelters will create another problem -- of new stray dogs entering the colony and start barking and biting at the people.”

An activist said, “With no proper supervision yet on setting up dog shelters, the caught dogs are being crammed into small shelters. There, the dogs fight among themselves, some of them are dying and or spreading diseases among themselves, further complicating matters.”

The animal welfare board has issued standard operating procedures in compliance with directions from the Supreme Court, so that the municipal bodies would take urgent steps. Accordingly, actions like shelter management for stray dogs, removal of dogs from public institutions, their sterilization and vaccination, creation of infrastructure for shelter and their management, feeding of stray dogs and waste management, awareness about waste management, etc are called for.

Activist from Guntur, Jagu Suresh, said, “No co-ordination meeting has been held among stakeholder departments and NGOs with regard to developing dog shelters and removal of stray dogs from public institutions as per the directives of apex court.”

Activists, however, note that a new trend is emerging in dealing with stray dogs involving NGOs. He cited a public-private-partnership model, but with no accountability for protection and safety of stray dogs.

An official from the municipal administration said, “We have targeted to complete vaccination and birth control for over two lakh stray dogs by February next. The process is on.”

The Supreme Court has scheduled the next hearing in the stray dogs case for January 7. By that time, state governments have to submit their action taken report (ATR) in the form of an affidavit.