Long drive for dogs’ treatment causing distress, say activists

The death of a street dog called Lakshmi after an ABC (animal birth control) surgery (see box) has raised concerns about the safety of the ABC programme carried out by the BBMP.  

Initially, there were eight ABC centres, one for each BBMP zone. The Mahadevapura centre was shut down a year ago after the lease ran out. As a result, street dogs from the area are being transported to the centre in Yelahanka and brought back post their surgery. The 30 km journey can’t be an easy one for a dog, says Sujaya Jagadish, an animal rights activist. She asks that the BBMP prioritises making zonal ABC centres functional. “We know about Lakshmi because she had a caretaker. We don’t know how many other strays have lost their lives without anyone learning about it,” she states.

According to Neveena Kamath, another activist, the dogs are supposed to be under BBMP care for a total of six days as per the guidelines. “The first day is for observation. The second day for surgery and four days for recovery. In the case of Lakshmi, she was brought back within three days,” she shares. She adds that the dogs are caught in nets, but should ideally be transferred to cages once they are in the van. “We do not know if this is followed strictly. Being transported in nets over such long journeys will cause immense discomfort to the animals,” she explains. 

One must also understand that it is not a straightforward journey from point A to point B. They make multiple stops to pick up or drop dogs from areas along the way. They may also need to make stops for other reasons. The animals are thus put through so much trauma, Neveena adds.

“This happens to one or two dogs out of every 1,000 dogs that have been neutered,” says Dr Chandraiah, BBMP nodal officer for the ABC programme. He explains that the BBMP has been unsuccessful in finding land to set up a new ABC centre in Mahadevapura.

A certain section of activists believes that the BBMP is doing its best under the circumstances. “We have to make the most of what we have now. Yes, we all want first-class facilities for strays, it’s currently not a reality. These things take time,” says Priya Chetty Rajagopal, an animal rights advocate. 

Nandita Subbarao, an animal birth control advocate, believes the BBMP should investigate the issue further. “They should check with the transportation service provider what exactly happened. Clearly someone has been careless and not made sure the sutures were intact,” she states.

WHAT HAPPENED

Earlier this month, Lakshmi, a street dog from Mahadevapura, was sent to the ABC centre in Yelahanka for neutering. When she was brought back to Mahadevapura, her caretakers noticed that her sutures had ruptured and her intestines were exposed. She was rushed back to the centre for treatment, but died on the way. “The dog was being cared for by daily wage labourers. The family is distressed that a perfectly healthy dog has died after a routine surgery,” shares Saroja Dileepan, who feeds street dogs in the area.