Animal lovers, activists protest; demand effective implementation of various measures for stray dogs in Karnataka

Over a hundred people gathered at Freedom Park in the heart of the city on Sunday to highlight mismanagement of stray dogs in the State, days after the Supreme Court judgement on handling strays in Delhi.

On August 11, the Supreme Court ordered the removal of stray dogs from the streets of the national capital. However, in an interim judgement on August 22, the SC ordered the civic authority to implement the Animal Birth Control programme instead of relocating the dogs. The apex court also suggested changes in feeding exercise.

In this context, about 150 animal lovers, pet owners, and activists took part in the protest and highlighted the need for immediate nomination of members to the Karnataka Animal Welfare Board (KAWB), in the backdrop of failure in handling the stray dog situation in the State. 

Karnataka must report actual data on their failure to implement ABC in the last two decades and ensure balanced implementation of the court order, they demanded.

The protesters said that the issues extend to a deeper stratum, from feeder harassment cases to the deficiency of monitoring systems overseeing the accounts of the ABC (Animal Birth Control) clinics and the lack of them in the State. According to a release by the organisers, 19 districts in Karnataka don’t have any ABC centres.

“Regulating feeding alone is not going to solve dog bites. There is a lack of ABC implementation in the State,” said Sadhana Hegde, Sahavarthin Welfare Animal Trust, adding that there has been insufficient Budget allotment. She also noted that feeders are being targeted. 

Deepak, owner of a community kitchen in Sahakar Nagar, underscored the relevance of community feeding. “We undertake almost 200 kg of community dog food every day with over 120 volunteers. I encourage everyone to start communities, and a hyperlocal one at that,” he said.

He further added that independent feeders need more support from the civic authorities.

The gathering addressed the potential reasons that had led to the programme’s failure over the years, including poor budgeting and land allotment for ABCs, abysmal infrastructure, and the ideology of “animals don’t matter.”