Community dogs: Delhi mayor asks for action plan in 1 week

Two brothers, aged 5 and 7, were found dead days apart with possible bite marks in a forested area in Vasant Kunj, where they went to relieve themselves, police said Sunday

Delhi mayor Shelly Oberoi on Tuesday directed the veterinary department of the civic body to submit an action plan on managing community dogs within the next week. An emergency review meeting was called by the mayor’s office after two children died near Vasant Kunj area due to alleged animal attacks.

An emergency review meeting was called by Delhi mayor Shelly Oberoi’s office after two children died near Vasant Kunj area due to alleged animal attacks. (PTI)

The two brothers, aged 5 and 7, were found dead days apart with possible bite marks in a forested area in Vasant Kunj, where they went to relieve themselves, police said Sunday.

In an official statement, the mayor’s office said, “The mayor has pulled up the officers for laxity and directed the department to ensure no such incident is repeated. The mayor has asked the officials to prepare an action plan within a week on the issue of managing community dogs. She also called a meeting of NGOs that deal with animals and animal issues, gaushala (cow shelter) operators and veterinary experts.”

After the Vasant Kunj incident, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has kept 50 dogs in the area under observation, officials said, adding 90% of community dogs in area are sterilised. An MCD official said that the civic body works with various NGOs to control the population of community dogs. Currently, the MCD has 20 sterilisation centres, of which 17 are functional. According to official MCD data, around 13,600 dog bite cases were reported in the Capital over the last one year.

To be sure, feeding community dogs is a fraught issue in most residential areas, with routine conflicts between dog-lovers and haters. These dogs can’t be exterminated, or simply shipped out; there are legal restrictions against both. But voluntary animal groups in most neighbourhoods take care of them, sterilise them (ensuring their population remains low), and try and relocate violent community dogs in shelters -- usually at their own cost.

Gauri Maulekhi, an animal activist and trustee at People for Animals (PFA), said Delhi requires a proper plan for sterilisation, adding that no community dog will attack anyone unprovoked. “A dog will only be aggressive if it has given birth and wants to protect the litter, if it is in heat, if it has been hit by people before, or is deprived of food. A proper sterilisation programme, which authorities have failed to implement, will eradicate the first two reasons, while feeding points can help solve the food problem,” she said.