No takers for BMC’s dog shelter plan

The BMC has been trying to implement directives issued by the Supreme Court in November last year, when the court ordered civic bodies to seize stray dogs in public places such as educational institutions, hospitals, stadiums and railway stations, sterilise them and relocate them to permanent shelters

MUMBAI: The civic administration’s moves to set up shelters for Mumbai’s stray dogs has been met with little or no enthusiasm. Animal welfare groups say some of the BMC’s conditions, especially the one expecting non-profits to bear the expenses of running these shelters, is a major deterrent. Also, the very act of relocating strays is unhealthy for the animals, they say.

Navi Mumbai, India - March 23, 2024:Dog bites rise steeply to 16K in Navi Mumbai, India, on Saturday, March 23, 2024. (Photo by Bachchan Kumar/ HT PHOTO) (HT PHOTO)

The BMC has been trying to implement directives issued by the Supreme Court in November last year, when the court ordered civic bodies to seize stray dogs in public places such as educational institutions, hospitals, stadiums and railway stations, sterilise them and relocate them to permanent shelters.

The directive was given due to the alarming rise in dog bite cases. The court ordered that the dogs, once shifted to shelters after sterilisation, should not be released back to the same vicinity. According to a 2024 BMC survey, there were 90,757 street dogs in Mumbai.

Since the ruling, the BMC has been struggling to implement a public-private participation (PPP) model to set up canine shelters. It has identified land at Malad, Malvani and Chembur for this purpose and has invited non-profits to submit expression of interest (EOI) to set up shelters. The NGOs’ indifference has, however, forced the BMC to extend its deadline for submission of EOI.

“We have repeatedly extended deadlines for these tenders due to the poor response. If the situation continues, we will have to deliberate on the next course of action,” said a civic official.

Shiraz Ahmad, founder, Humanity World Foundation, focused on animal welfare, said the proposal itself is flawed. Removing dogs from familiar surroundings and relocating them in shelters could cause stress and health complications. It could also make them aggressive, he said.

Ahmad claimed many instances of dog bite occur after dogs are relocated. Animal welfare groups say the BMC’s shelter proposal does little to contribute to the welfare of stray dogs.

Advocate Dagadu Londhe, CEO and president of Utkarsha Global Foundation, said his organisation, which works with the BMC on the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme, is willing to participate in efforts to create shelter homes for Mumbai’s stray dogs. But, he said, it would be a major challenge to develop the infrastructure needed.

“Earlier tenders stated that we would have to pay for both the place and the facility. Subsequently, the BMC said it would bear the cost of the place, but the bigger challenge remains developing the infrastructure,” he said. This is a major deterrent for animal welfare groups.

Londhe said several animal welfare groups are sceptical also because they were not taken into confidence. He said the foundation has submitted suggestions to the BMC on how the shelter home model could be implemented.