The Municipal Corporation of Delhi, with a misguided view to ‘sanitize’ select areas of the National Capital ahead of G20 Summit, has randomly picked up stray dogs from Pragati Maidan and T-2 Airport Terminal areas and put the voiceless animals in subhuman enclosures.
Animal lovers condemn this kneejerk reaction by the municipal body and request all concerned citizens to raise their voice against such maltreatment of the strays. The action was never shared on any public forum and on September 1, MCD personnel quietly swooped down on 47 locations to carry out the ill-advised operation.
Having gotten the wind of their intentions, the animal welfare community in fat offered its help towards the safe collection and keeping of dogs by involving local feeders in the exercise. However, the MCD took no heed of the help offered and went ahead to blatantly and illegally pick up mostly sterilised dogs.
The airport area from where dogs have never been previously picked was targeted by three teams. Some sixty harmless, sterilised and mostly very old dogs were caught and incarcerated at ill equipped centres that have neither fans nor adequate staff nor even food. Only dry kibble was provided at one centre which street dogs do not eat.
MCD’s actions raises several important questions:
1. The G20 summit is mainly centred in New Delhi zone an NDMC area so why is MCD clearing MCD areas of dogs?
2. Under the ABC Rules 23, sterilised dogs msy not be removed. The Hon SC has directed all municipal corps to strictly adhere to these rules under AWBI guidance.
3. In the absence of any written orders, is MCD staff authorised to collect any dogs from anywhere?
4. How does a short 2 day event justify the enormous cruelty and expense of such an action? Why is MCD still using wire catchers rather than nets?
5. How is MCD going to ensure the health, and safe return of so many dogs from so many different areas?
Instead of working steadily over the years to sterilise and vaccinate dogs whereby the population would have been negligible, this sham overdrive to ‘hide’ away our dogs is both unnecessary and illegal. It must be stopped.
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