Thanks to DNAIndia.com for this article.

City NGOs start woof campaign for dogs
Ashwin Aghor

Alarmed by the decision made by Bangalore Municipal Corporation to kill stray dogs, animal lovers in the city have come together to save the canines in the city. People from all walks of life have joined hands to propagate sterilisation and vaccination of stray dogs.

A group of compassionate citizens launched a signature campaign a fortnight ago and collected signatures from over 20,000 people who supported the cause. The principal of KC Law College Nilima Chandiramani, who is instrumental in the activities of the group said, Killing a stray dog is not the solution to the problems they cause. Moreover, it would be utterly unfair to kill all the dogs for the fault of a single dog.” Chandiramani feels that sterilisation and vaccination of stray dogs can solve the problem to a great extent. This is proved beyond doubt from the fact that all the problems caused due to stray dogs in my locality in Chembur were solved after seven stray dogs were sterilised and vaccinated.”

There is no rationale in killing all the stray dogs when the problem can be solved by scientific and hygienic methods of sterilisation and vaccination. The municipal authorities must come forward to extend all possible support to NGOs working for the cause,” said Chitrita Majumder, an advertising professional who is associated with the group.

Rampant killing of stray dogs is nothing but denying animals a right to live. This can never be advocated,” said Majumder, who initiated sterilisation and vaccination of stray dogs in Bandra. By scientific and hygienic approach problems like dog bite, rabies and other related complications can be solved effectively. After around 50 dogs in my area were sterilised, the situation changed dramatically,” Majumder said.

According to Chandiramani, effective implementation of Animal Birth Control programme is the need of the hour and municipal authorities should take it up seriously. The concerned BMC authorities seem to be highly ignorant about the entire situation. Whenever stray dogs are picked up for sterilisation, they dont even release the dogs in the localities they are picked from.”

The vice president of Arya Samaj V P Garg who feeds stray dogs in Collector Colony, Mahul Road, Chembur said, The only sustainable solution to the problem is intensive implementation of ABC programme to prevent population growth. But the municipal authorities are not co-operating with the NGOs. Huge funds earmarked for the cause are unused.”