The Indian Express                     28.03.2013

City anchor: Hassled govt allocates Rs 1 crore to free city of stray dog menace

For most residents of Nyati Highlands at Kondhwa, it is fear of being
bitten by stray dogs that makes them walk home with sticks or stones in
their hands.

People living in Baner-Pashan Link Road are also scared of stepping outside their homes.

It is this fear that led the residents of several societies to take the matter up with the civic authorities.

Swati Jog, a resident of Nyati Highlands, a society of bungalow
plots, at Kondhwa, says that crossing the road has become difficult
under the watchful eyes of stray dogs who often give them chase as they
try to step on the road. During early morning hours, when children are
packed off to school, several of these strays chase them, Jog
complained. Women, who want to take their pet dogs for a walk, are left
with no option but to drive all the way to Oxford Society at Wanowrie
before they can let their dogs out on the roads.

Surabhi Runwal, a post-graduate student, staying at one of the
hostels at JM Road also voiced her concern about the increasing number
of dogs, particularly near garbage bins. “People simply avoid that area
and take a longer route to reach the hostel,” she said. Meanwhile,
Prashant Patil recalls how one of his family members was chased at Baner
by a pack of dogs when she was entering the society around 9 pm. Every
night, Chinmay Kulkarni, a resident of Orange County at Pashan has to
get up at 1.30 am to the sound of the howling of dogs. “Can’t something
be done about it,” the financial consultant asked.

The sudden rise in the number of stray dogs across the city has even
had the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) checking their data on the
number of sterilizations done in the last year.

According to PMC’s acting deputy chief health officer Dr Anjali
Sabne, it is likely that several stray dogs have come from outside the
city. From April 2012 to March this year, a total of 8,204 dogs have
been sterilised and vaccinated under the Animal Birth Control and
Anti-Rabies Vaccination programme of the PMC. Between January and
December last year, as many as 12,731 people have been bitten by dogs,
she said.

From August last year the PMC has outsourced the work of
sterilization and vaccination of dogs to three agencies, including the
Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Animal Rights Fund and Blue
Cross Society. The PMC spends Rs 570 for sterilization and vaccination
of each dog, Sabne said and said that four dog vans have been posted at
each of the four zonal offices.

According to Blue Cross administrator Michael Francis, the
expanding limits of the city could have brought in more more strays from
outside. Overflowing garbage bins is another reason for strays to
gather within the city precincts. While he admits that there have been
instances of people being chased by strays, he also said that Blue Cross
takes care of sick and injured animals at their hospital in
Keshavnagar, Mundhwa. Sabne also said that there is need for more
kennels at the dog pound in Naidu hospital, for the dogs to be kept
after sterilisation. They generally need to be kept under observation
for three days.

“The PMC has allocated a sum of Rs 1 crore for setting up of two more
dog pounds. We are in the process of identifying suitable locations. The
Animal Birth Control programme has also been upgraded from Rs 40 to Rs
80 lakh,” Sabne added.