(IN) Kolkata stray dog control runs into rough weather

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends,

 

I just want to share this news to all of you that we did approach the AWBI

and requested to share the half burden of the ABC program funded by Ranchi

Municipal Corporation which is stopping the program in coming March 2009 due

to no funding availabelity for Stray Dog Control program by the State.

 

We are looking forward for the support from AWBI to join hands with Ranchi

Municipal Corporation, which may agree for 50% funding for continuing the

program.

 

We will write AWBI again to look into our matters,

 

Thanks for letting us know about the operations of AWBI.

 

with best regards,

 

Praveen

www.hopeandanimal.org

 

On Thu, Jul 17, 2008 at 5:08 AM, <

journalistandanimals wrote:

 

> Anandabazar Patrika, 17th July, 2008

>

> More funds for stray dog vaccination

>

> Milan Dutta and Koushik Ghosh

>

> Stray dog vaccination and sterilization in Kolkata has gone for a toss.

>

> The funds for birth control and anti rabies vaccination of stray dogs were

> allocated by the Animal Welfare Board under the aegis of the Central

> Environment & Forest Ministry. This year, the Animal Welfare Board has

> stated that if the Kolkata Municipal Corporation provides half of the

> funding the other half would be given by the Animal Welfare Board. During

> the last financial year, the Animal Welfare Board had allocated 23 lakh

> rupees for stray dog sterilization and vaccination. In the current year,

> for that amount of money to be spent, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation has

> to shell out eleven and a half lakh rupees. But since the Municipal

> Corporation has not allocated any funds for stray dog control, all work has

> come to a standstill.

>

> Two animal welfare organizations work for stray dog sterilization and

> vaccination. One hundred wards of the Municipal Corporation are under the

> supervision of People for Animals(PfA). Debasis Chakrabarti, head of PfA

> said, " This year we have not received any money for street dog

> sterilization

> and vaccination. As a result all work has virtually stopped. I say

> virtually

> since we are still capturing dogs from schools, hospitals and some

> organizations. "

>

> On enquiring about the targets for this year from the Chennai based Animal

> Welfare Board, PfA got to know that full funding would not be provided. The

> Municipal Corporation would have to pay for half the cost. And since then

> the Municipal Corporation has not taken the deal forward. But the Kolkata

> Municipal Corporation Joint Commissioner Shahidul Islam remarked, " We had

> informed the Animal Welfare Board about our inability to provide any funds

> in the current budget of this year. We requested them to pay for the entire

> funding this year. We will bear half of the costs from next year. " Shahidul

> Islam claims, the Animal Welfare Board has agreed to bear the entire costs

> of sterilization and vaccination this year.

>

> But those working in the streets emphasise that no funds have been granted.

> As a result regular work of capturing street dogs has been affected. The

> Municipal Corporation Joint Commissioner stated, " We have no information on

> stray dog operations coming to a halt. " However, he later added enquiries

> would be made if work has stopped. In 1995, the rate of rabies deaths was

> fifty people a year. This decreased to ten per year in 2002. The reason

> behind the declining rate of rabies death is stray dog vaccination by

> capture.

>

> However there is no infrastructure of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation to

> capture and sterilize and vaccinate stray dogs. They are dependent on some

> animal welfare organizations. These organizations receive Rs. 445 for the

> whole process of capturing a dog, sterilizing and vaccinating it and

> ultimately releasing it. For this exercise every dog has to be provide

> shelter for 5 to 10 days. Last year, PfA sterilized and vaccinated 6500

> dogs

> in total. In the next year, their target is 7200. But everything depends on

> the funds earmarked by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation in the present

> circumstances.

>

> On the other hand, dog bites in the city are on the rise in the absence of

> dog capture. Last week, five people were bitten by dogs. A complaint was

> filed in the Shyampukur police station. Last month, the chief of the

> Bagbajar Ramkrishna Math, Swami Mumukshananda wrote a letter on the stray

> dog problem in Udbodhon Lane. Some dogs were caught from the street. But

> since financial help has not been forthcoming the regular dog catching work

> has come to a halt.