Acting on a complaint from animal activist Vineeta Tandon of the Animal Rescue Trust, the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) has written to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) commissioner and Maharashtra Animal Welfare Board, requesting immediate action against the veterinary department of the civic body for violation of Animal Birth Control rules.
Tandon had written to the AWBI about rampant violation of Animal Birth Control Rules 2023 by the PMC. As per the complaint received by the AWBI, the civic body is capturing sterilised dogs just on complaints of growling, barking or chasing vehicles among others which in turn is leading to animal abuse and cruelty.
Acting on the complaint received from Tandon, AWBI secretary Dr S K Dutta on Friday, July 6, wrote to the PMC and Maharashtra Animal Welfare Board, directing them to take immediate action. “The complaint is being forwarded for necessary action as per the provisions of the law. Kindly treat this as most urgent and intimate to the board the action taken at the earliest,” Dr Dutta wrote.
Additional commissioner of the state animal husbandry department, Dr Sheetal Kumar Mukane, said that they have received Dr Dutta’s letter following which the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Pune district will be instructed to take necessary action. “We will write to the SPCA, Pune district which looks into complaints at the district level. The action will be taken at the district level by the respective SPCA,” Dr Mukane said.
{{/usCountry}}Additional commissioner of the state animal husbandry department, Dr Sheetal Kumar Mukane, said that they have received Dr Dutta’s letter following which the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Pune district will be instructed to take necessary action. “We will write to the SPCA, Pune district which looks into complaints at the district level. The action will be taken at the district level by the respective SPCA,” Dr Mukane said.
{{/usCountry}}Tandon said that there is no cooperation from the PMC when it comes to animal welfare or solving man-animal conflicts. “The PMC is violating the Animal Birth Control rules and capturing strays on the basis of unfounded complaints. This is leading to cruelty and harassment of animals. This has been going on rampantly in areas like Wadgaon Sheri, Kondhwa, Wanwadi and Kothrud among others. Even the PMC veterinary department staff agrees that they are picking up stray dogs based on minor complaints like barking or chasing vehicles which is not as per the Animal Birth Control rules,” Tandon said.
“We are animal activists but that doesn’t mean that we love animals and hate human beings but the PMC should follow the rules. The PMC should conduct public awareness programmes for the peaceful coexistence of human beings and animals,” Tandon said.
Refuting Tandon’s allegations, Dr Sarika Funde, veterinary superintendent of the PMC said that they have received the letter today and will reply to the AWBI regarding the allegations being baseless. “We are following all the rules of the AWBI and Animal Birth Control Rules 2023 and there is no violation. Even in the complaint which has been given to the AWBI, neither vehicles were sent nor were strays caught. The AWBI has been misguided. We will submit our side of the story to the AWBI with proof,” Dr Funde said.