Soon, animal care lessons in Bengaluru schools

A new animal education programme with a focus on dogs will be rolled out in over 800 schools in the greater Bengaluru area in the coming weeks.

Vikas Suralkar Kishor, BBMP special commissioner for animal husbandry and education, says that the project is much needed, especially in light of the Supreme Court’s recent reversal of its August 11 order, which had stipulated that dogs must be removed from the streets and housed in shelters. 

According to the State Health Department’s Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), there was a 36.2% increase in dog bites in Karnataka till July 2025 compared to 2024.
In an effort to reverse this trend, students will be taught about staying safe around community dogs and reading their behaviour. 

They will also be taught about how to be compassionate and coexist with stray dogs and other animals, such as cats and cows. Kishor says it is important for students to learn such skills for them to grow into compassionate adults.

The programme, which is part of BBMP’s ongoing Information, Education and Communication (IEC) programme for animal welfare, will commence by mid September, says Suralkar.  

The 30-40 day long programme, targeting grade 5 to 10 students, will cost the BBMP between Rs 500-1,000 per school.

In the following years, the programme will expand to schools that haven’t participated till then, he adds. 

‘Important to nurture such skills’

Dr Lokesh S, vice president of the Karnataka Veterinary Association, says it is important that dog-related skills be taught at school. Greater knowledge and compassion towards dogs will help children become more comfortable around them, which will in turn reduce fear and ensure safety, he adds. “It is often very difficult for children to stay still and calm around dogs — they panic easily,” he adds.

Dog behaviouralist Namratha Nao cites the programme as a “great initiative” and says schools are the right place to “teach about common sense and empathy”. 

Pamila Vincent, 61, a longtime dog feeder and former nursery school teacher, has been caring for stray dogs for over 20 years. She taught the principles of coexistence in her classrooms, which she found helped children develop a deeper connection with animals and nature.

Bengaluru resident Ketaki Kunte, 26, says she has had numerous “close calls” with stray dogs, while walking or riding past them. “I missed out by not having this in my own school syllabus,” she says.