Stop illegal pickups, form panel: Activists to Greater Bengaluru Authority on stray dog issue | Bengaluru News

Bengaluru: Ahead of the Supreme Court’s hearing on the relocation of stray dogs from institutional areas, scheduled for Jan 7, animal welfare activists organised a peaceful protest at Freedom Park Sunday as part of nationwide demonstrations demanding humane treatment of animals.Nearly 300 people took part in the protest, holding placards and raising slogans calling for co-existence and an end to cruelty.The protesters demanded that the state govt, and specifically the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), stop illegal dog pickups immediately. They also called for the formation of an oversight committee to ensure the implementation of Supreme Court orders and prevent corruption.“We want an oversight committee comprising animal welfare people, not bureaucrats who are clueless about anything other than filling their pockets,” said Manjari Chaitanya, founder of South Bengaluru Cares.She also displayed pictures of several cases of cruelty against dogs and cats in Bengaluru and other parts of India. The protesters demanded that animal cruelty be declared a public safety issue in the state.“We are launching zonal monitoring rapid action teams under each GBA commissioner. We will call it the Watchdogs,” she said. The ‘Watchdogs’ will act against those picking up dogs and committing cruelty, she added.Dr Rajan, a veterinarian, said the large-scale confinement of dogs carries serious health risks for dogs and wild animals. “The biggest threat is canine distemper. Most dogs picked up are asymptomatic carriers and show no signs. The infection spreads through faeces and the aerosol route, not just to other dogs but also to wild animals like bats and leopards,” he said, stressing that many shelters are located close to forests outside the city.“This is a failure of the system, with poor management of ABC. Systematic sterilisation and vaccination could have prevented this situation entirely,” he added.Participants told TOI that the current order does not offer a feasible solution to the stray dog issue. “This will leave dogs without a home or identity. We are hoping for compassion and kindness in the next hearing on the matter,” said a resident of L&T South City in JP Nagar.