Over 90,000 stray dogs in Mumbai but only 8 shelters for them, say BMC officials

There are over 90,000 stray dogs in Mumbai, but the number of shelters for them is only eight, civic officials said on Saturday, a day after the Supreme Court directed relocation of stray canines to designated shelters after due sterilisation and vaccination.

The officials said that in order to implement the apex court's order, more dog shelters need to be set up in the metropolis.

Taking note of the ''alarming rise'' in dog bite incidents within institutional areas like educational institutions, hospitals and railway stations, the Supreme Court on Friday directed the forthwith relocation of stray canines to designated shelters after due sterilisation and vaccination.

It said the recurrence of dog bite incidents within institutional areas reflected not only administrative apathy but also a ''systemic failure'' to secure these premises from preventable hazards.

The SC also directed the states and Union Territories to take appropriate steps to address the ''deficiencies and shortcomings'' pointed out in a report filed by the amicus curiae about compliance with the court's directions in the stray dogs menace case.

As per the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's census conducted 11 years ago, there were at least 95,752 stray dogs in Mumbai, but the number has now dropped by around 5,000 due to the civic body's effective animal birth control (ABC) programme undertaken since 2014, the civic officials said.

At present, the city's stray dog population stood at 90,600, they said.

Currently, there are only eight dog shelters in Mumbai and they hardly have any capacity because the authorities used to release the stray dogs after sterilisation as per the old mandate, they added.

According to the officials, for the implementation of the apex court's directive issued on Friday, Mumbai will first need to enhance its capacity for removing stray dogs from public spaces and shifting them to dog shelters, where they will need to be kept for the remaining part of their lives.

The average lifespan of a dog is between 12 and 15 years.

''The SC directive says first sterilise the dogs before shifting them to a shelter, where they will be required to appoint dog handlers and veterinarian, besides making arrangements for their food and water,'' a senior BMC official said.

Robust monitoring and execution will be needed for the implementation of the Supreme Court directive in Mumbai, the official said, adding that dog shelters need to be properly fenced so that no dogs can escape or no outside canines enter.

''As per the SC directive, even if 30 to 40 per cent of the stray dogs in Mumbai are removed from the premises of education institutes, railway stations, sport complexes and other public places, shelters will be required to accommodate around 40,000 such dogs,'' he said.

''A dog pair gives birth to around 20 puppies in a year. As their growth rate is quite fast, effective sterilisation is required to keep their number in check. That is why, the BMC has been implementing their birth control programme in the city since 1984,'' he said.

As per the ABC rules, of the total population, 70 per cent dogs need to be vaccinated annually to avoid the spread of rabies from dogs to dogs and it has been effectively followed, according to him.

Meanwhile, an animal welfare activist cautioned that removing community animals would only provide a temporary solution and could worsen the problem over time.

RAWW founder president advocate Pawan Sharma said dogs being highly territorial will understand about the empty territories and will take over within no time.

This exercise will be a never ending affair draining tremendous resources, he said.

Dogs would fill up rapidly given the population of community animals, while confining healthy strays would adversely affect their quality of life, he claimed.

''The concept of shelters are for orphan and dependent animals due to disability. However our strays, which are healthy in maximum cases, being confined to limited spaces in shelters will have a negative effect on their quality of life,'' Sharma said.

The problem with strays is real but immediate solutions like removing them will not solve it in reality, he added.

''The solution is ABC (Animal Birth Control) programmes done by the government directly with the help and assistance of Non Governmental Organisations,'' Sharma said.

Animal rights activist Reshma Shelatkar also said displacing stray dogs from their rightful territory will cause more harm than good.

''A shelter is no place for healthy dogs. Moreover, presently there are no shelters to keep stray dogs and no space for making more in future,'' said Shelatkar, who takes care of more than 200 cats and dogs.

Asserting that the SC order was ''illogical and disheartening'', she said sterilisation and vaccination were the only humane way to curb the dog population and dog bites, adding that the civic body should be made answerable for them.

''Even stray animals have a fundamental right to live without fear or harm. The apex court should reconsider its decision on stray animals carefully. Let us emphasize compassion and coexistence to enable us all to live in harmony,'' Shelarkar said.