Critics rap Karnataka civic bodies for making stray dogs a big business

Bengaluru: Incidents of stray dogs attacking common people, especially women and children, have often been reported from across Karnataka. The gruesome details of the incidents have raised concern among the people.

For instance on June 26, 2019, five-year-old, Durgesh, was mauled by stray dogs in Soladevanahalli on the outskirts of Bengaluru. The boy was attacked when he was returning after purchasing a pack of biscuits from a shop. He succumbed to his injuries soon after the attack.

February 14, 2023: An elderly woman died four days after being attacked by stray dogs at Kabbare village near Kanakapura in Ramanagara district. Kodihalli police had registered a case of unnatural death and wrote to civic authorities to curb the menace. Mahadevamma, the victim was attacked outside her house in the morning by a pack of dogs and was fatally wounded.

February 27, 2023: Three-year-old Tayyaba Kizar, who was critically injured after stray dogs attacked her on February 3 in Ballari, died at NIMHANS, Bengaluru after 23 days. She was among 25 people, including seven children, who were attacked by stray dogs in Ballari city on that day. Tayyaba was the third child to die in dog bite incidents reported in Ballari district between December 2022 and January 2023.

April 22, 2023: Nine-year-old Jaffer, a Class 3 student who was walking to a mosque for early-morning Ramzan prayers was attacked by nearly 20 stray dogs at Rahamatnagar in Kolar. Fortunately he was rescued by a police constable Rajanna. The severely-bleeding boy was rushed to the hospital and thankfully, he survived the attack.

October 26, 2023: Karnataka police arrested a dog owner for targeting a woman who filed a complaint against him after she was bitten by his pet canine in Kothanur police station limits of Bengaluru. The accused dog owner had torched a bike and scooter belonging to the victim’s family.

In capital Bengaluru, the community’s issue of caring for street dogs and accommodating them in the premises or the campus had often led to quarrels between residents and animal lovers and the matter had also reached the police. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) data show that the agency has been neutering and spaying at least 45,000 animals annually since 2018.

In 2019, as many as 46,293 sterilisation operations were carried out and in 2022 as many as 52,896 sterilisations were done till February, sources stated. The officers maintain that it is indeed a herculean task to keep the population of stray dogs under check.

Former ruling party leader in BBMP, NR Ramesh told IANS that in Bengaluru city alone there were more than 4 lakh street dogs. It is also the horrible truth that sterilised dogs are operated upon again to make money. At present there are more than 1.50 lakh street dogs that have not been sterilised in Bengaluru city. “Dogs who have not been sterilised can be seen roaming around in the localities of Thyagaraja Nagar, Basavanagudi, Jayanagar 6th and 3rd block. That the BBMP is undertaking the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme to contain the menace of street dogs by limiting their numbers is a lie and a scam. There are 10 agencies working for the BBMP and Rs 1,500 is given for the surgery of each canine. Neutering of 600 dogs is made compulsory for all agencies. As per my information it is shown that everyday not less than 30 dogs are neutered, but it is not so,” Ramesh charged.

Arun Prasad, environmentalist, social activist who is also a member of Bengaluru urban district Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), told IANS that the street dog menace is coming under control in the state. As per the order of the Supreme Court, dogs have to be neutered by local authorities to control their population. This is being done as per the guidelines of the World Health Organisation.

“At the state-level the programme is undertaken in all local bodies. The neutering surgery in males controls the canine population and also brings down aggression as during the heat cycle of the female, the dogs will be aggressive as the urge to mate will dominate. The dog lovers who feed street dogs are doing a service as any animal would rest and sleep after getting food. The central government had issued a gazette notification on the ABC programme,” Arun Prasad explained.

“In the whole of India, for the first time, five-in-one vaccine is being given to stray dogs which will protect canines from different diseases along with rabbis,” he stated.