UP govt issues directions to set up feeding points for stray dogs

The directions issued by Amrit Abhijat, principal secretary of the urban development department, Uttar Pradesh, on September 4 primarily deal with identification of feeding spots for stray dogs

Ghaziabad: The Uttar Pradesh government has issued a set of directions to all municipal corporations and local bodies in the state for deciding feeding points and other issues related to stray dogs.

The directions say that dedicated feeding points will be set up while considering the population and regional distribution of strays; the strays should be given food at the feeding points and not at undesignated places; a notice board should also be put up to this effect, and action should be taken against any individual/association violating this. (HT Archives/Sunil Ghosh)

The directions came after the Supreme Court gave a detailed order in August regarding the stray dogs.

The directions issued by Amrit Abhijat, principal secretary of the urban development department, Uttar Pradesh, on September 4 primarily deal with identification of feeding spots for stray dogs.

The directions say that dedicated feeding points will be set up while considering the population and regional distribution of strays; the strays should be given food at the feeding points and not at undesignated places; a notice board should also be put up to this effect, and action should be taken against any individual/association violating this.

“The order says that the feeding points should come up at spots where there is less movement of children and senior citizens. Those feeding dogs should also ensure safe disposal of waste. Animal activists have also been advised that they should help in the animal birth-control and catching of strays for sterilisation activities,” said Ghaziabad municipal corporation’s chief veterinary and social welfare officer Dr Anuj Singh on Monday.

These feeding points will be decided amicably by the local RWA/AOA and the animal activists. If there is disagreement on deciding the feeding point, an animal welfare committee will be constituted, officials said.

The committee will have the chief veterinary officer, representatives of the local police, representatives of the district animal cruelty redressal committee, the complainant, and representatives of local RWA/AOA, among others, as members, they added.

“After the Supreme Court orders, there is a lot of consensus coming in for deciding on the feeding points, and residents are also coming up for registration and sterilisation of their pet dogs. The corporation is also considering a plan to search for a location/land where a shelter home for stray dogs, with a capacity of 500-1,000, shall come up. One of our ABC centre NGO is also tasked to conduct a fresh survey to ascertain the population of strays in the corporation area. This is expected in the next three months,” Dr Singh added.

Officials said that they estimate the city has about 60,000 strays in the corporation’s jurisdiction area, and about 32,000 of these have been sterilised so far.

Notably, in its directions, the Supreme Court has stated that the dogs must be released back after sterilisation and immunisation, except those infected with rabies or exhibiting aggressive behaviour. It also said that civic authorities will create feeding areas and that no feeding on streets will be allowed.

The court has also directed the placement of notice boards near the feeding points, and persons found feeding stray dogs on streets shall be liable to be proceeded with under the relevant legal framework.