The Bengaluru North City Corporation (BNCC) dog shelter is facing criticism once again as activists claim that stray dogs are being indiscriminately picked up and taken to the shelter from residential areas. This practice allegedly contravenes a Supreme Court directive that permits municipal authorities to capture stray dogs only from institutional locations, such as hospitals and educational institutions.
Read More
Recent reports have highlighted additional concerns, noting that the shelter is improperly disposing of fecal matter in a septic tank, further violating regulations set by the Supreme Court, the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), and the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB). Constructed at a cost of approximately Rs 1.8 crores, the shelter has a capacity limit of 500 dogs.
Sadhana Hegde, founder of the Sahavarthin Animal Welfare Trust, expressed concern that dogs are being picked up based on financial incentives given to the agency responsible for their collection. She stated, "They have been allowing dogs to be picked up from anywhere to be dumped at the shelter, and the shelter personnel do not let us ask about the dogs’ origins."
Welfare workers seeking information on the health of the dogs found their access to the shelter restricted. Following recent heavy rains, volunteers were reportedly denied permission to assess the conditions of the dogs, who were found to be severely malnourished.
Dr. HK Gangadharaiah, the chief veterinary officer at BNCC, dismissed these allegations, asserting that the agency has not been authorized to pick up dogs from residential neighborhoods. He indicated that interested feeders should coordinate directly with the assigned agency for access. Dr. Gangadharaiah also mentioned that repairs to the shelter's fencing are underway and added that the shelter is not currently accepting additional stray dogs due to ongoing construction, which is expected to be completed in a few days.