Bengaluru: Despite repeated pleas of citizens against the relocation of the only operational Animal Birth Control Centre, Sarvodaya, the NGO is being forced to vacate the premises of the Government Veterinary Hospital on Queen’s Road.
Mr Vinay Moray, who runs the ABC (Animal Birth Control) Centre, told Deccan Chronicle that the Animal Husbandry Department has turned a blind eye to the plight of the dogs.
“Electricity connection has been cut off since Monday morning and they are bullying us to leave the place. We’ve around 50 dogs in the surgery unit, and the anti-rabies vaccinations are just wasting away as they aren’t refrigerated, thanks to the power cut,” he said. The ABC Centre has been asked to move to Jakkur. “It is nothing but a shed. How can operations be conducted in such a place? Doesn’t the department, which is for the welfare of animals, have any sympathy for them,” he asked.
The hospital building, which is a heritage structure dating back to 1908, is set to be razed to give way to a super-specialty veterinary hospital. “The citizens argue about the need for another such expensive structure when the Hebbal Veterinary College is just 4.5 km away. Also, 92 trees on the premises are set to be axed. On World Environment Day, is this how Bengaluru’s officials want us to celebrate it,” argued Ms Priya Chetty Rajgopal, a member of the Citizens for Bengaluru forum fighting for the cause.
However, Mr Nagendra, Deputy Director, Animal Husbandry Department, said, “Why do dogs need electricity? Sarvodaya is not complying with our orders. We are razing the building to build the specialty hospital and we will train our doctors to carry out the ABC work within a year. We had asked them to vacate six months ago, but they are still encroaching and extending the deadline.” But Mr Moray said that no such written order was given to them. The centre will continue with the dog sterilisation work, Mr Moray said. “From tomorrow (Tuesday), we are trying to put together a few generators so that the habitat can be made humane to the ill and operated dogs. We will sterilise dogs tomorrow as well. If we don’t help these animals, nobody is going to.”
