Bengaluru City Commissioners review dog control measures

In a bid to strengthen stray dog management and comply with the recent Supreme Court directives, the Bengaluru City Corporation Commissioners directed officials to expedite the ongoing sterilisation and vaccination programmes within the corporation limits.

Commissioners of West, Central, and South Corporations held a review meeting on Tuesday and directed immediate implementation of the apex court directions.

Central City Corporation Commissioner Rajendra Cholan directed his department to collect detailed data on street dogs, especially near schools, hospitals, and public spaces. South City Corporation Commissioner K.N. Ramesh also issued the same directions to officials.

The City Corporations have asked officials to identify suitable sterilisation and care centres, and to invite Expressions of Interest (EOIs) from animal welfare groups for managing shelters. The Commissioner stressed strict compliance with the Supreme Court directions on stray dog management and public safety.

There are 63,340 community dogs within the West City Corporation limits. Two ABC–ARV centres, one in each zone, are currently operational, with a combined capacity of 171 kennels. The centres, managed by two service providers, have so far conducted 4,068 sterilisation surgeries and administered 27,581 anti-rabies and combination vaccinations.

West City Commissioner K.V. Rajendra instructed officials to improve operational efficiency and ensure full compliance with the standards set by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) and the Supreme Court. 

Mr. Rajendra also urged officials to encourage adoption drives for dogs housed in long-term care facilities and to identify specific public spaces for dog feeding in consultation with local communities.

He stressed the importance of conducting public awareness programmes to inform citizens about the department’s initiatives and directed that pending payments related to the ABC–ARV programmes be cleared promptly. The Commissioner noted that the City Corporation has an adequate stock of anti-rabies vaccines to meet public requirements.