The recent death of a man attacked by stray dogs in Mussoorie has once again elicited focus on the failure of the authorities to ensure effective execution of Animal Birth Control (ABC) work across the State.
While some blame animal welfare activists for creating hurdles in this work, the activists point out that according to the law, the local bodies are expected to facilitate the infrastructure and facilities needed to undertake animal birth control work.Urban l ocal body office bearers have complained more than once that NGOs working for animal welfare are not helping as required in the facilitation of ABC implementation.
The NGOs on the other hand point out that as per the law, the local bodies are expected to provide the necessary facilities for ABC. In a letter written to the Chief Secretary co-opted member of Animal Welfare Board of India and PFA Uttarakhand member secretary Gauri Maulekhi states that killing a dog is a punishable offence as per Supreme Court orders.
She said that “As per the ABC Rules of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, the local body concerned is responsible for the sterilisation and vaccination of stray dogs in the area under its purview. Municipal bodies are expected to construct an ABC campus, provide ambulance, appoint veterinarians, trained staff and with the help of NGOs, sterilise stray dogs before releasing them in the area from where they were caught.”
Gauri further explains that “The Animal Husbandry department had provided a vet on contract to the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun but in absence of an operation theatre and dog-shelter, the vet remained without work for two years. The Animal Welfare Board of India was to provide funds to local bodies for ABC in Uttarakhand for dog sterilisation across the State but the agreement has not been signed yet as the file has been under consideration of the principal secretary, Urban Development since August 2012”.
“The State Animal Welfare Board has written four times to the Urban Development department since September 2012 to get this file processed in vain. More than 25 veterinarians of the Animal Husbandry department have undergone training for dog sterilisation but due to the Urban Development department not facilitating the construction of ABC campuses the work of dog sterilisation is not being undertaken as desired in the State,” she states in the letter to the CS.
The PFA Uttarakhand has also filed a public interest litigation in the High Court on the issue of ABC. Maulekhi states that only about Rsthree crore is spent annually on dog sterilisation in the nation. While it costs about Rs1,200 to sterilise one dog, the Government rate for this task if Rs445 which makes it tough for NGOs to undertake this task with their resources alone.