Stray Dogs: Civic Bodies Fail To Comply With SC Order

Vijayawada: Stray dog management in Andhra Pradesh has come under scrutiny. The municipal authorities are failing to fully comply with a Supreme Court interim order directing proper care, including shifting dogs to shelters and conducting Anti-Rabies Vaccination (ARV) and Animal Birth Control (ABC) drives.

Citizens continue to face the risk of dog bites. In some areas, culling of stray dogs takes place with lethal injections.

An incident in Guntur on Tuesday morning saw three stray dogs attack a seven-year-old boy returning from mosque prayers. The boy sustained lacerations and was treated at a government hospital.

The Guntur municipal corporation on Monday discussed releasing stray dogs in remote areas, including the Pericherla forest, to curb their presence. Animal rights activists intervened, alerting the district authorities to prevent such action.

The municipal corporation limits have an estimated 31,000 stray dogs, of which nearly 11,000 have undergone ABC and ARV. On Tuesday, 88 dogs were caught and shifted to a newly established Animal Birth Control Centre. Activists alleged that the dogs were deprived of food and water for several hours and that the centre lacked full amenities to conduct ABC and ARV.

M Nageswara Rao, a veterinary doctor with Guntur municipal corporation, said, “There was no such discussion in the municipal corporation. We are catching stray dogs and conducting ABC and ARV properly.”

In Anakapalli district under GVMC, concerns have been raised about an NGO engaged for ABC and ARV “lacking” proper credentials, including the mandatory Project Recognition Certificate from the Animal Welfare Board of India.

GVMC chief veterinary officer Raja Ravi Kumar stated, “The NGO is getting the Project Recognition Certificate and it is entrusted with ABC and ARV for stray dogs in several states, including AP. There may be some shortfalls in conducting the ABC and ARV, and we are trying to address them.”

Meanwhile, culling of stray dogs using lethal injections continues, with recent instances reported at Poranki, Tadigadapa municipality. Animal rights activist Jagu Suresh attributed the violations to “lack of proper regulatory mechanism” in the state.