Delhi stray dog crackdown: 700 caught near Red Fort ahead of Independence Day; helpline, phase-wise removal drive planned by MCD

NEW DELHI: Municipal Corporation of Delhi's veterinary wing plans to launch phase-wise action to address the city's stray dog problem. Following SC's Monday order, the department began action to remove aggressive or diseased dogs from east Delhi's Shahdara and Bhajanpura.

The corporation did not release any data on the number of animals picked up on Tuesday. An MCD official said a majority of its dog-catching vehicles were deployed at Red Fort area, from where around 700 dogs had been caught prior to Independence Day. The drive will be intensified in other zones after Aug 15, the official added.



Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh said while the process of locating dog shelter sites has started, the vet department has been instructed to act immediately on complaints regarding diseased dogs and those known to bite. These dogs will be shifted to existing facilities at sterilisation centres.

MCD set to launch helpline for stray-related complaints
A process to locate unutilised community halls and other buildings in each zone for dog shelters has started," the mayor said. A helpline number will also be launched in a day or two for complaints related to stray dogs. "Meanwhile, people can use the 311 app," Singh added.

On Tuesday, a meeting was called on the matter and officials were asked to devise a detailed plan. The meeting, attended by MCD commissioner Ashwani Kumar, will continue on Wednesday. A sub-committee formed under the chairmanship of deputy standing committee chairman Sundar Singh is working separately to identify key areas that need immediate attention after involving dog lovers and residents, such as feeding points and the working conditions of animal birth control units.

The members had on Monday given directions to catch at least 1,000 stray dogs from each zone in one month. "However, the emphasis will remain on catching aggressive dogs to begin with," said Yogesh Verma, a member of the committee. The New Delhi Municipal Council is also doing an internal assessment on the matter and will soon make a decision, officials said.

Ravinder Sharma, former MCD veterinary director, said finding sites for shelter homes won't be difficult if the task is taken up dedicatedly. "Already, there is a 1,000 sq-metre land available in Tehkhand and a 500 sq-metre area in Masoodpur where such facilities can be established. Multistorey structures can be developed for dogs. In places such as Dwarka, there are community halls that can be utilised for keeping dogs.

These shelters would be different from animal birth control (ABC) centres as 12 feet space is required at ABC centres to keep a dog after sterilisation and immunisation. But for keeping a dog permanently at shelters, a kennel of minimum 45 feet area is needed," he said.

A day after the court's direction to immediately catch, vaccinate and relocate stray dogs permanently to shelters, several residents welfare associations swung into action. They approached the civic body for fresh vaccination and sterilisation campaigns in their areas besides holding joint meetings to identify feeding points.

Sanjay Gupta, president of Model Town Residents Society, said feeding of stray dogs has been a point of contention in the locality for a long time. "Feeding them anywhere in parks, such as walking tracks and spots close to entrances, only increases the risk for people. As an RWA, we tried resolving the matter and identified feeding points. Now we have requested the area councillors and veterinary officials to hold a joint meeting with residents and dog lovers after Aug 15 to resolve the problem on priority," he said. A dog vaccination camp was organised on Aug 5, and the RWA is demanding an increase in the frequency of such drives.



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