Bengaluru in the year 2024 saw multiple incidents of stray dog attacks, raising public safety concerns. A disturbing case was reported earlier this month from Chamrajpet, where miscreants inflicted brutal injuries on three cows, slashing their udders and stabbing their legs, further highlighting the issue of how human-animal conflicts of a completely different variety emerge in the city space often.
In response to all these issues, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has launched a series of initiatives aimed at addressing the root causes of conflict. Among them is a campaign to promote animal rights awareness in schools and campaigns for the wider public. As part of this effort, BBMP has also finetuned its animal grievance helpline and is setting up animal rescue centres across the city. These centres are the first of their kind in Karnataka.
There are close to 500 schools in each zone and the BBMP is planning to present at least one awareness session in a quarter in each school.
| Photo Credit:
SUDHAKARA JAIN
Awareness campaigns
The BBMP is set to recruit eight agencies, one for each zone, to promote awareness about animal welfare and rights, in educational institutions across Bengaluru. Speaking to The Hindu, Suralkar Vikas Kishor, BBMP’s Special Commissioner for its Animal Husbandry Department, said the initiative aims to nurture a more compassionate society for animals.
“Right now, the campaigns are happening in a haphazard and unplanned way, and mostly in public spaces, but not in schools. We have decided to call for agencies who will specifically focus on schools in all eight zones within the city. Each agency will handle schools in one or two zones. These agencies will be given a target on how many schools must be covered by them in a time span. The content of activities that will be presented at the schools will be moderated by the BBMP, which will be presented at a regular frequency,” Kishor added.
The commissioner said that there are close to 500 schools in each zone and the BBMP is planning to present at least one session in a quarter in each school.
Sessions in schools
Once the agencies are appointed, the zonal assistant directors of the Animal Husbandry Department will collaborate with schools and colleges in their respective zones to conduct sessions. The agencies will be provided with audience authorisation forms by the BBMP, ensuring that each educational institution allocates 15 to 20 minutes per class for these sessions. The sessions will educate students about animal behaviour, fostering respect for animals and teaching them how to interact with them safely.
“The focus will be on dispelling irrational fears about animals while emphasising the importance of maintaining a safe distance. Students will also learn that animals may react aggressively if their space is invaded or their young are threatened,” Kishor explained.
The BBMP has also introduced the Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) initiative to address the growing incidents of animal abuse involving stray animals in Bengaluru. Under the theme – Public Health through Animal Health — the initiative aims to raise awareness through engaging street plays and flash mobs at 250 locations across the city. As part of the campaign, the BBMP is also utilising garbage collection vans to broadcast awareness messages via microphones and display posters, with the pilot phase currently underway in the Yelahanka and Mahadevapura zones. The animal welfare events, which kicked off on January 18, and are being held at various high-footfall locations, including malls, parks, slums, lakes, and other public spaces.
Along with addressing common issues such as animal birth control, anti-rabies vaccinations, and dog bite management, the helpline will also provide support for cases of harassment of animal feeders.
| Photo Credit:
SUDHAKARA JAIN
Helpline finetuned
The BBMP has also finetuned its existing 1533 helpline to address concerns related to community animals more specifically. “Citizens can reach out by dialling 1533, using the mobile app or logging requests through the Bangalore One portal. Once a request is logged, our veterinary inspectors, who also serve as authorised anti-cruelty officers for each ward, will visit the site,” said the BBMP in a release recently.
Along with addressing common issues such as animal birth control, anti-rabies vaccinations, and dog bite management, the helpline will also provide support for cases of harassment of animal feeders, control of animal breeding, and licensing-related matters, said officials.
“Through the helpline we will take action based on specific complaints. Based on the seriousness of each category, we have tweaked the timings within which the officer has to respond,” said Kishor. Animal birth control and anti-rabies vaccinations are to be resolved within five days, harassment of feeders in two to three days, breeder and pet shop licenses within seven days, animal cruelty cases in two days, and rescues within one to two days, on a limited scale.
The BBMP will host the animal, and do basic treatment, and if additional medical care or surgery is required, the BBMP will tie up with government or private facilities where the treatment will be provided.
| Photo Credit:
TAHIR ABBAS
Rescue centres
The BBMP will soon be opening small animal rescue centres for dogs and cats in three zones in the city to rescue and treat stray animals, making this the BBMP the first civic body in Karnataka to establish a rescue centre for animals.
The commissioner explained that animals that are injured, undergo cruelty by any entity and are terminally ill will be rescued and treated at these centres. “Currently there are private firms running animal rescue centres in the city. They do it out of compassion for animals, but it requires them to raise funds to facilitate the centres, because of which limited number of animals are rescued,” said Kishor.
The BBMP will host the animal, do basic treatment, and if additional medical care or surgery is required, the BBMP will tie up with government or private facilities where the treatment will be provided.
The BBMP will kickstart these centres in Dasarahalli, East, and South zones. The BBMP has already issued the work order in Dasarahalli zone. Tenders have been invited for the centres in East and South zones. In three months, all the centres are expected to be operational. The BBMP will also treat abandoned pets and will coordinate with the NGOs for adoption. These are rescue centres and restricted for small animals, and not for cattle and wild animals.
Streamlining processes
Animal rights activists have welcomed these moves, but sought streamlining of processes. Anuradha Rao, a member of the South Bangalore Creative Commune, that also runs the Mini Forest Commune that fosters the care of stray animals, said that the BBMP animal rescue centres must not just be restricted to cats and dogs and must be streamlined for all kinds of stray animals. “There are many stray cattle also on the streets of Bengaluru, which often end up injured and also creating problems for the public,” she said.
She further said that there are many strays that suffer from cancer and other fatal diseases, due to which even after treatment the strays are not fully recovered and can not live a normal life again in their localities. “In my own experience an old stary dog in our street was treated by a rescue centre and brought back to the location, however, it could hardly walk, and was hit by a moving vehicle. It died after two days. Streets are not safe for recovering strays, or strays that are on the last leg of their lives,” she added, underlining the need for special focus on such cases.
She also underlined the need for more government or BBMP-run veterinary centres and ambulances. For South Bengaluru alone, there was just one BBMP-run veterinary centre on R.V. Road, which was shut for a long time. Tenders were called to run the centre, and it kickstarted soon.
Pranav Sreenath, a resident of R.R. Nagar and a dog lover, hoped that the good initiative will not be caught in red tape like several other government moves. Priya Menon, a Koramangala resident and a dog feeder, said, “As someone who feeds strays in my neighbourhood every day, I really want to believe the BBMP’s rescue centres will make a difference. But I have seen so many plans start with a lot of promise and fizzle out. These animals need consistent care, and a home, not just a temporary fix. I hope that real help reaches animals that need it most.”
Published – January 27, 2025 09:00 am IST
