Bengaluru: Even as officials of Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) remain confident of beginning the relocation of stray dogs from institutional areas by the end of July, significant hurdles remain. The biggest challenge lies not in relocating the animals, but in putting in place an efficient and sustainable system to manage the proposed dog shelters.Despite their experience in Animal Birth Control (ABC) programmes, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have shown little enthusiasm for participating in the tendering process to manage the proposed dog shelters. Their reluctance stems from a combination of concerns, including persistent labour shortages, uncertainty over compliance with pollution control regulations, and operational difficulties posed by the design and layout of the shelters.A GBA source said the five city corporations are independently handling the tender process for appointing agencies to manage the shelters. “GBA is not interfering with who they are appointing. We are only collecting status updates on the tenders and monitoring the progress,” the official said, adding that at least four corporations are expected to begin relocating dogs by the end of July.According to the official, shelters in the North and South corporations have already been completed, while those in the Central and West corporations are under construction. The shelter planned for the East corporation is yet to be built.However, NGOs involved in ABC activities say taking on the additional responsibility of shelter management is not feasible.The Veterinary Society for Animal Welfare and Rural Development (VSAWRD), which is currently carrying out ABC operations for the Bengaluru Central City Corporation, has not participated in the second round of tenders for managing dog shelters.“We were asked to participate the first time due to pressure following the Supreme Court order. This time we did not participate. We are already facing a labour shortage while conducting ABC activities. Managing shelters is an entirely different and much more difficult task,” VSAWRD staff member Mastan told TOI.Issues in designThe founder of another NGO said the shelter design itself is one of the primary reasons the organisations are hesitant to bid for the contracts.“Conclusions regarding the shelter’s suitability should be based on a comprehensive assessment by qualified experts, including veterinary, environmental, engineering and public health professionals. To my knowledge, the Karnataka Animal Welfare Board has not conducted a detailed on-site inspection of the shelter. Moreover, no NGO in the city has experience handling 500 dogs in such a small area,” the founder said.The concerns come even as civic authorities say there is growing public pressure to relocate aggressive stray dogs, particularly from institutional areas, in line with the Supreme Court’s directions.Finding the balanceBengaluru North City Corporation commissioner Pommala Sunil Kumar said the dog shelter at Medi Agrahara has been completed and that the corporation is in the process of issuing a work order for its management. “We will issue the work order in a day or two to the lone participant,” he told TOI.“We have been receiving regular calls from residents requesting us to relocate aggressive dogs. Apart from housing dogs relocated from institutional areas, the shelters will also help us observe and manage aggressive dogs,” he said.He added that while some animal welfare activists oppose the relocation drive and question whether the dogs are actually aggressive, the corporation is attempting to strike a balance between public safety and animal welfare.“A section of animal lovers oppose our efforts and are not convinced of these dogs’ aggressive nature. We are doing our best to address the issue while adhering to the Supreme Court’s orders,” Sunil Kumar said.
