Confused by empty roads, stray dogs migrate to inner streets in search of food

Lockdown hits canines

Stray dogs being fed in the city. Courtesy: CUPA

Confused by the empty roads in the wake of the 21-day lockdown, stray dogs are migrating to the inner streets in search of food and human company.

Sandhya Madappa, honorary secretary, Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA), said dogs on the main roads and industrial or economic hubs that survive on the leftovers from the eateries or food from corporate employees find it harder to survive in the lockdown period.

“They are the hardest hit because their source of food has vanished with the lockdown,” she said. “This has prompted their migration to inner roads and residential areas.”

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The almost total absence of people has also confused the dogs, said CUPA, as evident from the situation in Cubbon Park that has about 80 stray dogs, according to activist Priya Chetty-Rajagopal. “Although the association is taking care to feed these dogs, we are finding many of them moving out of the park and trying to get into secondary streets in the hope of finding people. They don’t understand why people are missing. They are pining for human company.” But the priority for several animal rights activists is to keep the dogs fed.

“Feeding them is our primary concern,” said activist Nandini Singh, who helps bridge the various Animal Birth Control (ABC) groups in the city’s eight zones that feed the animals during the lockdown. D Randeep, special commissioner for animal husbandry, BBMP, said the Palike is trying to facilitate the feeding by providing food packets.

DH survey

DH held an informal survey of the ABCs, which showed that they fed nearly 2,000 dogs. A BBMP survey in December revealed that the city has 3,09,972 dogs.

Nandini said the absence of a government circular on feeding dogs has prompted ordinary people to step in. “Many people run ‘feeders’ across the city. I can say that at least in Bengaluru, we won’t see the problem of street dog starvation,” she added.

No pass needed

City police commissioner Bhaskar Rao said he had ordered policemen to give feeding crews “free passage” past checkpoints, provided they had all safety equipment on, including masks. “Animals need food as well. At the end of the day, we should be a kind city. It shouldn’t just be about economics and money,” he said.