Hyderabad: Raids conducted by the GHMC’s Enforcement, Vigilance, and Disaster Management (EVDM) wing exposed the irregularities in animal care centres in the city.
Despite claiming bills, these centres do not have even basic facilities like medication, food, treatment facilities, adequate surgical equipment, and trained staff to take care of animals, specifically stray dogs. The so-called animal welfare centres as maintained by the civic body have been found to be in gross violation of the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rule, 2001. The corporation seems to have violated several guidelines and norms specified under the rule.
Ms Pravallika Nigam, an animal activist who was also part of the team that conducted the raid, said, “Cages in East and South, which covers areas of LB Nagar and Charminar, are horrifying and completely violate the norms. These centres restrict even the free movement of animals.”
This was confirmed by an official working in animal care who said on condition of anony-mity that to make up for the lack of space, the staff at the centres sometimes keep up to five dogs in one shelter. “Healthy, injured, and dead dogs are all sometimes kept in the same room, thereby putting the health of the healthy and injured dogs at risk,” he said.
Ms Pravallika pointed out that the entire dog-catching process is inhuman, more so because the staff employed for the same are not trained and therefore "subject the dogs to torture". This apart, she said that once captured, the dogs are transported to welfare centres in phased out vehicles purchased at least two decades ago.
These animal birth centres were set up in 5 different zones to sterilise and vaccinate strays against rabies.
