An animal-welfare NGO looking after the welfare of animals in Delhi is on the verge of a shutdown as the three municipal corporations that use its services for sterilisation of stray dogs owe it `30 lakh, according to sources.
Struggling to carry on its work, Defence Colony-located Friendicoes — facing a deficit of `83 lakh and founded in 1979 — has launched online campaigns and initiatives on the social media to raise funds.
And the good news is that that the NGO that claims to vaccinate around 1,200 stray dogs every month and has more than 1,800 to 2,000 animals in its shelters has by now raised around `43 lakh which still is half to what it needs to keep itself afloat.
“Our stray dog programme has a positive impact on Delhi street dogs’ health and we ensure that the population of street dogs is reduced humanly. More importantly such dogs are also vaccinated against rabies which makes them safer as community pets. How can three civic bodies not show the same commitment to our programmeIJ We might be facing a shutdown again if they do not pay us on time,” said Mandy Seth, co-founder of the NGO.
As the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) reportedly owes the NGO around `23 lakh, the Friendicoes has decided to terminate the sterilisation services for the East from month of September.
The EDMC, on the other hand, claimed that the delay in payment is due to massive fund crunch. “There has been a delay in the payment. We are trying to ensure the smooth delivery of bills, but owing to cash crunch there have been some hiccups. We are hopeful that the services will soon get better,” said an official.
NMC, on the other hand, is continuing its sterilisation services on old rates of `445 as against the revised rates of `700. Officials of NMC are adamant and do not want to pay the new rates. As the NGO is struggling to bear the medicine, ambulance cost for sterilisation of dogs on old rates, it has decided to stop its services.
North Delhi Mayor Ravinder Gupta said, “We are paying the old rates as we are struggling with the cash crunch. Due to shortage of funds, there is a delay in the delivery of payments.”
Geeta Sheshmani, Vice-Chairperson, Friendicoes, said, “Initially there was a hullabaloo over the revised rates from Rs 445 to Rs 700, which was later accepted by the South and East MCD but not the North MCD. It is very difficult to continue the service at old rates bearing the medical cost becomes almost impossible. The burden of money cannot be borne by the NGO anymore.”
She added, “We are struggling to make ends meet. It’s a terrible situation for Friendicoes. Even if we get a certain amount from the MCDs for sterilisation programme, it does not solve the problem entirely as we have to fill the monthly pay slips. We were paid some money in July, now the pay slips for August are to be paid and we just do not know how to deal with the situation.”
Besides, the NGO has shelters in Defence Colony, Ghazipur and Tilangpur Kotla and rural areas. It also runs four spay or neuter clinics to control the stray dog population in Delhi and Gurgaon.