Concerned over hygiene, NGO halts work at ABC centre

It is waiting for BBMP to address infrastructure concerns raised by animal welfare volunteers

The NGO carrying out animal birth control (ABC) procedures in R R Nagar zone has put its sterilisation programme on hold after animal welfare volunteers complained about unhygienic conditions.

In a letter to the BBMP dated June 24, the volunteers alleged that some dogs died after undergoing sterilisation there and some “continue to suffer” from diseases picked up at the centre.

The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) recommends individual kennels but the dogs were kept in close proximity in community kennels, they allege.

A member of Asra, the NGO, told Metrolife they stopped surgeries from July 1 and are waiting for the BBMP to address the concerns raised.

Nevina Kamath, one of the four complainants, said the ABC centre is too small for the number of dogs the BBMP wants sterilised every month. It neither provides proper post-operative care nor does it provide amenities for the NGO staff as mandated by AWBI and endorsed by the Supreme Court, she added.

The ABC centre is located in Sumanahalli, adjacent to a human crematorium, and opposite an animal crematorium and a waste segregation site. It is the latest BBMP-authorised ABC centre and was opened about eight months ago after the one at Channenahalli off Magadi Main Road was shut down.

Even the NGO noticed these gaps but carried on with sterilisation as they have an MoU with BBMP. “Following visits and complaints by these volunteers, we decided to sterilise 400 dogs every month instead of the target of 600, starting May,” he said.

The centre has 12 individual kennels, and five group kennels to hold a maximum of 10 dogs each, but he claimed the NGO had to accommodate 18-20 dogs in each of them.

The welfare volunteers have demanded that no more than five dogs should be kept in community kennels here.

The NGO worker explained why community kennels are a problem: “When you put alpha dogs and smaller dogs together, all picked up from different territories, the latter feel threatened and struggle to eat, drink, sleep. This is in addition to the travel and operation stress they undergo. After surgery, their immunity is low and the chances of catching infections increase.”

He has learnt from animal lovers in the RR Nagar zone that 15-20% of the strays they sterilised fell sick, and about 5% died.

A majority develop canine distemper while some catch parvo, both contagious viral diseases, he said.

“We need about 120 individual kennels to minimise the risk of infections at this centre. Animal volunteers and even our NGO don’t recommend community kennels,” he said.

Amenities are not much to speak of even for the 18 NGO staff working here.

“According to AWBI, the local civic body should provide staff quarters but we were not. The NGO spent Rs 5 lakh to instal two container homes for the staff,” he claimed.

Nevina and the NGO member also said the centre is not located suitably and would like it relocated. “Toxic fumes coming from the adjoining crematorium are unhealthy to work and live with. Two times, snakes have entered inside. The centre is right on a footpath when it should be at an animal hospital,” he rued.

Only the Yelahanka and Dasarahalli ABC centres are compliant, Nevina said.

BBMP speaks

Dr Manjunath Shinde, assistant director (animal husbandry), BBMP, is in charge of RR Nagar ABC centre. He told Metrolife they are acting on the complaints and bringing in the required infrastructure. “The work on the roof (to plug leakage) is pending because of rains. It should be fixed in a week,” he said. He dismissed the argument that the centre is not located suitably. “It is in a fairly isolated place. Even eateries run close by. The crematoria have high chimneys,” he said.