With the animals from the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in Sector 38-West, Chandigarh—the only government-run veterinary shelter in the UT—getting temporary shifted to Raipur Kalan Animal Birth Control (ABC) Centre, official data from the Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) shows a sharp drop in dog mortality from May this year. According to records, the number of dog deaths has nearly halved following the relocation, raising questions on the conditions at the SPCA facility.
On April 30 this year, the animals were temporarily shifted to Raipur Kalan after the UT administration and the civic body started renovating the SPCA facility. However, MC’s official data revealed that while 192 dogs died at the SPCA in April — the month before the relocation — the death toll dropped to 82 in May and further declined to 74 in June after the animals were moved to the Raipur Kalan centre. MC officials attribute the improvement to the relatively open and spacious environment at the Raipur facility, which, as per officials, helped curb the spread of infections among animals.
“SPCA is a house for diseased and injured animals. Most of the dogs, which are rescued by the MC staff, are from accident sites or those who are extremely ill. Due to this, the dog mortality rate is extremely high. The Raipur Kalan centre offers more space for animals to move around, which reduces disease transmission. That’s the primary reason for the significant drop in dog mortality. Besides, MC is already demarcating more space in Raipur Kalan for the dogs so that they can move freely,” said a senior MC official, adding that the renovated SPCA facility will have upgraded infrastructure and medical facilities.
Animal lovers and city-based volunteers had raised concerns over relocation of animals, citing that dogs were crammed into kennels measuring around 4x3 feet, unable to walk and surrounded by filth, faeces, and blood. “There is no access to clean drinking water, proper sanitation, or medical attention. Paralysed dogs have been left to die with untreated wounds, open sores, and in a state of complete neglect. The lack of CCTVs and the exclusion of volunteers from the premises have created a ‘black box’ of suffering. The ABC centre, originally intended for a 3–5 day stay post-neutering, now confines animals indefinitely, in direct violation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960,” Sehjeevi—a registered charitable trust dedicated to animal welfare, had highlighted in a press conference.
{{/usCountry}}Animal lovers and city-based volunteers had raised concerns over relocation of animals, citing that dogs were crammed into kennels measuring around 4x3 feet, unable to walk and surrounded by filth, faeces, and blood. “There is no access to clean drinking water, proper sanitation, or medical attention. Paralysed dogs have been left to die with untreated wounds, open sores, and in a state of complete neglect. The lack of CCTVs and the exclusion of volunteers from the premises have created a ‘black box’ of suffering. The ABC centre, originally intended for a 3–5 day stay post-neutering, now confines animals indefinitely, in direct violation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960,” Sehjeevi—a registered charitable trust dedicated to animal welfare, had highlighted in a press conference.
{{/usCountry}}The city based NGO had even highlighted glaring financial discrepancies at the SPCA. Despite receiving an annual budget of ₹96 lakh for 2023–24, less than 1% was reportedly spent on medicines and hospital care for animals. Activists allege that this chronic underutilisation of funds has translated into prolonged suffering for over 150 small and large animals — including dogs, cats, monkeys, birds, and cattle.
MC to handover city gaushalas to private firms
With an aim to improve the welfare and management of impounded stray cattle, the Chandigarh MC will soon hand over the operation and maintenance of the city’s gaushalas to private firms/organisations or NGOs . At present MC runs a total of four gaushalas—in Sector 25, 45, Maloya, and Raipur Kalan, and a cattle pound in the Industrial Area. Some of the gaushalas are presently being maintained by NGOs while some by the civic body itself. The selected organisation will be responsible for managing the gaushalas, ensuring proper care for stray cattle, including feeding and healthcare, at no or minimal cost to the MC. Around 2,600 cattle are present in MC’s all gaushalas on any given day.