<p>Mysuru: The government is taking steps to establish shelters to house a minimum of 500 stray dogs each in all ULBs (urban local bodies), especially the city corporations, as per the Supreme Court order.</p><p>The process to set up dog shelters has begun in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hubballi, Davangere, Tumakuru, Belagavi, Vijayapura and Raichur corporations. They will be fully functional shortly.</p><p>Simultaneously, the stray dog adoption programme is also picking up. The sterilisation and rabies vaccination drives have also been intensified, urban development department secretary Deepa M Cholan told DH. </p><p>Cases of dog bites in the state increased from 40,177 in 2020 to 4,99,343 (52 rabies deaths) in 2025.</p><p>Commissioner for the department of animal husbandry and veterinary services Shilpa Nag said the department had initiated a project to attach RFID tags to all dogs, to track their movements.</p><p>The department is extending all necessary technical and medical support to ULBs in handling stray dogs and their shelters, apart from the department’s programmes to manage them, she said. </p><p>According to the director of the department of animal husbandry and veterinary sciences Dr P Srinivasu, while the Animal Birth Control (ABC) centres were functional in most of the districts, many were managed by NGOs.</p><p>So far, stray dogs were released back in their respective territories, after sterilisation and rabies vaccination.</p><p>Henceforth, following the Apex Court order and as per the SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) given by the Animal Welfare Board of India, stray dogs picked up near institutions will be kept at the shelters. The rest will be released to their respective areas after vaccination and sterilisation. </p><p>Deputy Director for animal husbandry, Greater Bengaluru Authority, T Chandraiah said there were already eight ABC centres in Bengaluru.</p><p>GBA is in the process of establishing five dog shelters in all zones of Bengaluru with a plan to manage them though NGOs.</p><p>Mysore city corporation (MCC) officials said MCC was the first in the state to establish a dog shelter on four and half acres of land at Rayanakere in the city in 2022.</p><p>But they could not operate it due to shortage of funds. Now, MCC is developing it at a cost of Rs 1.6 crore with all necessary infrastructure, including an operation theatre for sterilisation, individual kennels. The facility will be ready in 3 months.</p><p>Savitha Nagabhushan of the People For Animals said with the increase in human population, growing garbage load and the unscientific disposal of poultry and animal waste, the street dog population was on the rise.</p>.Bengaluru South City Corporation to spend Rs 3,035 a month per stray dog shifted to shelters.<p>She said keeping dogs in shelters permanently was not ideal as it can be stressful for them and may also increase the risk of infections and disease spread.</p><p>But writer and environmentalist Ravi Bale felt that these shelters were a kinder and more viable option for street dogs than being left to fend for themselves on the streets. </p><p>He suggested that dog lovers should adopt such dogs as the shelters would not be enough for the huge population of strays.</p><p>The Belagavi city corporation is establishing dog shelters at a cost of Rs 2.1 crore at Vantmuri on the outskirts of the city and at Hirebagewadi in the taluk.</p><p>Instances of attacks on humans have increased with an increase in the stray dog population in the past few years. While on record there were 2,500 stray dogs in the city, their actual population was over 20,000, sources said.</p><p>The Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board (KKRDB) has allotted Rs 5 crore for establishing a dog shelter in Kalaburagi. </p><p>The project was announced a year ago and 1.5 acres of land was identified for the purpose at Udanur on the outskirts of Kalaburagi for the purpose.</p><p>But the work could not take off due to stiff opposition from people in the village.</p><p>Kalaburagi corporation officials said they had identified an alternative land at Kanadal village in Kalaburagi taluk and work would begin soon.</p><p>Officials said Kalaburagi city had more than 16,000 stray dogs and over a hundred dog bite cases had been reported in the past one year.</p><p><em>(With inputs from Raju Gavali in Belagavi and Vittal Shastri in Kalaburagi)</em></p>
<p>Mysuru: The government is taking steps to establish shelters to house a minimum of 500 stray dogs each in all ULBs (urban local bodies), especially the city corporations, as per the Supreme Court order.</p><p>The process to set up dog shelters has begun in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hubballi, Davangere, Tumakuru, Belagavi, Vijayapura and Raichur corporations. They will be fully functional shortly.</p><p>Simultaneously, the stray dog adoption programme is also picking up. The sterilisation and rabies vaccination drives have also been intensified, urban development department secretary Deepa M Cholan told DH. </p><p>Cases of dog bites in the state increased from 40,177 in 2020 to 4,99,343 (52 rabies deaths) in 2025.</p><p>Commissioner for the department of animal husbandry and veterinary services Shilpa Nag said the department had initiated a project to attach RFID tags to all dogs, to track their movements.</p><p>The department is extending all necessary technical and medical support to ULBs in handling stray dogs and their shelters, apart from the department’s programmes to manage them, she said. </p><p>According to the director of the department of animal husbandry and veterinary sciences Dr P Srinivasu, while the Animal Birth Control (ABC) centres were functional in most of the districts, many were managed by NGOs.</p><p>So far, stray dogs were released back in their respective territories, after sterilisation and rabies vaccination.</p><p>Henceforth, following the Apex Court order and as per the SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) given by the Animal Welfare Board of India, stray dogs picked up near institutions will be kept at the shelters. The rest will be released to their respective areas after vaccination and sterilisation. </p><p>Deputy Director for animal husbandry, Greater Bengaluru Authority, T Chandraiah said there were already eight ABC centres in Bengaluru.</p><p>GBA is in the process of establishing five dog shelters in all zones of Bengaluru with a plan to manage them though NGOs.</p><p>Mysore city corporation (MCC) officials said MCC was the first in the state to establish a dog shelter on four and half acres of land at Rayanakere in the city in 2022.</p><p>But they could not operate it due to shortage of funds. Now, MCC is developing it at a cost of Rs 1.6 crore with all necessary infrastructure, including an operation theatre for sterilisation, individual kennels. The facility will be ready in 3 months.</p><p>Savitha Nagabhushan of the People For Animals said with the increase in human population, growing garbage load and the unscientific disposal of poultry and animal waste, the street dog population was on the rise.</p>.Bengaluru South City Corporation to spend Rs 3,035 a month per stray dog shifted to shelters.<p>She said keeping dogs in shelters permanently was not ideal as it can be stressful for them and may also increase the risk of infections and disease spread.</p><p>But writer and environmentalist Ravi Bale felt that these shelters were a kinder and more viable option for street dogs than being left to fend for themselves on the streets. </p><p>He suggested that dog lovers should adopt such dogs as the shelters would not be enough for the huge population of strays.</p><p>The Belagavi city corporation is establishing dog shelters at a cost of Rs 2.1 crore at Vantmuri on the outskirts of the city and at Hirebagewadi in the taluk.</p><p>Instances of attacks on humans have increased with an increase in the stray dog population in the past few years. While on record there were 2,500 stray dogs in the city, their actual population was over 20,000, sources said.</p><p>The Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board (KKRDB) has allotted Rs 5 crore for establishing a dog shelter in Kalaburagi. </p><p>The project was announced a year ago and 1.5 acres of land was identified for the purpose at Udanur on the outskirts of Kalaburagi for the purpose.</p><p>But the work could not take off due to stiff opposition from people in the village.</p><p>Kalaburagi corporation officials said they had identified an alternative land at Kanadal village in Kalaburagi taluk and work would begin soon.</p><p>Officials said Kalaburagi city had more than 16,000 stray dogs and over a hundred dog bite cases had been reported in the past one year.</p><p><em>(With inputs from Raju Gavali in Belagavi and Vittal Shastri in Kalaburagi)</em></p>