Nagpur Municipal Corporation finally seems to have realized the futility of continuing with dog sterilization programme in city. Despite sterilizing about 54,000 stray dogs between 2006 and 2010, their number has kept growing. It has cancelled the contract of two NGOs— Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and Indian Society for Animal Welfare (ISAW)— that were carrying out the sterilization of stray dogs since 2006.
The civic body has decided develop a special shelter for stray dogs and start its own sterilization centre at Reshimbagh. NMC had tasked four NGOs-- ISAW, YMCA, SPCA and Royal Veterinarians Society--with sterilization programme at five centres across the city in 2006. However in 2008, NMC cancelled the contract of YMCA and Royal Veterinarians Society after complaints of irregularities and non-performance but continued the contracts of SPCA and ISAW centres at Gittikhadan and Srikrishna Nagar.
As per NMC figures, SPCA sterilized 20,190 and ISAW 12,395 stray dogs in last four years. TOI, in a recent report, had pointed out how despite the sterilization exceeding the estimates of total number of stray dogs in city, the number of dogs continues to rise. It had also reported that figures of daily sterilization at the two centres did not match with total claims. In charge of NMC veterinary department Dr Milind Ganvir confirmed that contracts of both NGOs had been scrapped after NMC received complaints from animal lovers that these NGOs were killing stray dogs under Animal Birth Control ( ABC) programme.
He said, "NGOs were not following rules of Animal Welfare Board while sterilizing the strays and for that we had issued notices to them three days ago and have asked them to stop the programme from today (August 26)". "It is mandatory to keep male animals under observation for 24 hours after sterilization and females for 72 hours. Yet, both NGO's were releasing the dogs immediately after operation.
The civic body was not satisfied with progress of sterilisation programme as the NGOs had fallen short of the target," he added. Dr Ganvir said NMC's own shelter for strays would be started from August 30. The dogs would be sterilized, given shelter, fed and cared for here, he said. Dr Kailash Marwah of SPCA and Pramod Kanetkar of ISAW alleged that NMC was trying to take over the animal birth control programme just to keep funds allocated for it (Rs 50 lakh) to itself. It was after directions of the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court in 2006, that NMC had initiated steps to control population of stray dogs through sterilization.
The civic body has decided develop a special shelter for stray dogs and start its own sterilization centre at Reshimbagh. NMC had tasked four NGOs-- ISAW, YMCA, SPCA and Royal Veterinarians Society--with sterilization programme at five centres across the city in 2006. However in 2008, NMC cancelled the contract of YMCA and Royal Veterinarians Society after complaints of irregularities and non-performance but continued the contracts of SPCA and ISAW centres at Gittikhadan and Srikrishna Nagar.
As per NMC figures, SPCA sterilized 20,190 and ISAW 12,395 stray dogs in last four years. TOI, in a recent report, had pointed out how despite the sterilization exceeding the estimates of total number of stray dogs in city, the number of dogs continues to rise. It had also reported that figures of daily sterilization at the two centres did not match with total claims. In charge of NMC veterinary department Dr Milind Ganvir confirmed that contracts of both NGOs had been scrapped after NMC received complaints from animal lovers that these NGOs were killing stray dogs under Animal Birth Control ( ABC) programme.
He said, "NGOs were not following rules of Animal Welfare Board while sterilizing the strays and for that we had issued notices to them three days ago and have asked them to stop the programme from today (August 26)". "It is mandatory to keep male animals under observation for 24 hours after sterilization and females for 72 hours. Yet, both NGO's were releasing the dogs immediately after operation.
The civic body was not satisfied with progress of sterilisation programme as the NGOs had fallen short of the target," he added. Dr Ganvir said NMC's own shelter for strays would be started from August 30. The dogs would be sterilized, given shelter, fed and cared for here, he said. Dr Kailash Marwah of SPCA and Pramod Kanetkar of ISAW alleged that NMC was trying to take over the animal birth control programme just to keep funds allocated for it (Rs 50 lakh) to itself. It was after directions of the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court in 2006, that NMC had initiated steps to control population of stray dogs through sterilization.
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